Pas Ilmund tu Livonde
by Lysha
Summary: Sequel to 'Open Your Eyes'. It's sixteen years after sorceress Ultimecia's defeat, but things still aren't pictureperfect. Squall is finding a necessary change of character is at hand, all thanks to his rather lively daughter...
1. Training

**_Author's Note_: **This story is dedicated, in it's entirety to my friends, who I could not live without. To everyone else, please enjoy this fic. I have been working on it for a very long time, so I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it! Please leave a review!

**_IMPORTANT_: **This fanfic is a sequel to a previous story of mine, 'Open Your Eyes'. If you haven't read that fic, this one probably won't make that much sense to you. But, it's not essential, so feel free to read them as you like!

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**Pas Ilmund tu Livonde**

Squall brought down his gunblade across the robotic soldier's head, and watched it fall to the floor with a triumphant look in his eyes. He stepped over the sparking remains of his opponent, then rushed to his goal, seeing the digital clock above him ticking ominously. He only had a few more seconds.

Squall glanced around, looking for what he was supposed to be doing here. Then a powerful force struck him in the back, knocking him over. He turned over on the ground, glancing up at the clock.

Twenty seconds.

He seized his gunblade from the ground next to him. He'd come this far; he wasn't going to fail now. The huge robotic nightmare standing over him didn't look friendly.

He brought his gunblade up this time, literally slicing the robot in half. Squall then stuck his gunblade into the floor and used it to pull himself up.

Twelve seconds.

He glanced around the room again, then saw a giant red button in the wall opposite and rushed over. He put his hand on it and pushed. But it didn't move. It was stuck.

Seven seconds.

He put both hands on the button and tried again. No luck.

Four seconds.

He pushed his body weight against it. Nothing.

Two seconds.

He had to keep pushing...

One...

He glanced up again at the clock as the button finally went in. He breathed a sigh relief as the clock ticked to zero.

As the door opened, he stood and greeted his friends with a hearty wave.

"VIRTUAL TRAINING SYSTEM COMPLETE."

"Well done, Squall! Another perfect lap!" Quistis clapped as her friend emerged from the door. "So... who's next?"

"Me! Me!" Selphie said, jumping up and down with excitement.

"I'm gonna call it a night, guys." Squall said, making his way to the door.

"Good night, Squall!" Quistis said, as she, Selphie, Irvine and Zell waved to him.

Squall gave them a small smile, then left.

Selphie watched him go with mournful eyes. "Gee... he's really taking this hard, isn't he?"

"Can you blame him?" Zell shrugged, shaking his head.

"Well I would've thought that the Garden's new virtual training system would have at least made him feel a little bit better..." Irvine said, glancing at the huge contraption that was now restarting itself.

Quistis tutted at Irvine's remark. "No, I didn't expect it to. You have to understand, Irvine; she was the love of his life."

Selphie nodded, her eyes now filled with tears. "Yeah... and don't forget: he has Lianne to think about now."

Squall sighed as he trudged back to his dormitory. Even though he was still grieving the loss of Rinoa, he now had to look after his daughter. Sometimes he wished he didn't have all that responsibility, just like the days he was shoved into a position of leadership. Those days seemed so many years ago. Sixteen years to be exact.

With sixteen years between those times and now, a lot of things had been forgotten. But one thing was rattling around Squall's head that night, something he hadn't heard for fourteen years. _Pas Ilmund tu livonde._

He could hear it echoing around his eardrums and reverberating around his brain. He had no idea why. Old sorceress language wasn't something he thought of often. Besides, since Rinoa passed away, Squall had distanced himself from magic.

As Squall banged his dormitory door shut behind him, he felt like he wanted to kick something. He threw dirty looks all around his room, then threw himself on to his bed. He lay there and stared at the ceiling.

Rinoa's death on that mission might have been seven years ago now, but lately, Squall had been thinking about it more than ever. He kept seeing that horrible day playing out in front of him every time he closed his eyes. He could see Rinoa's face in the raindrops that fell from the sky, and in the tears that fell from his eyes almost every day. Some days, it was so bad for him, he couldn't even look his own daughter in the face. Those large brown eyes of hers were so much like her mother's. She had the same gentle smile, the same quirky mannerisms, and the same strong-willed nature. Squall saw Lianne as an exact mirror image of his lost love. So much so, that Squall distanced himself from his own child, just as he did to his friends sixteen years ago. But Squall knew Lianne didn't understand. As far as he knew, she thought he was a terrible father. Squall gritted his teeth in annoyance. It just wasn't fair, the way things were now. He did love Lianne, he just wished she knew. And he wished she could understand how hard things were for him. He had tried to explain things to her, but he had never been good at these things.

Lianne didn't remember her mother – she had only been seven years old at the time of her mother's death, meaning the memories she did have of her were short and few. Squall often tried telling Lianne stories about her mother, mostly of her inspirational times, and of her kind personality. He told her all about the Timber Owls, how she survived in space with a terminated life support system, and many others of his fond memories. But Lianne wasn't interested. Apparently, she couldn't care less what happened to her mother. In fact, she even resented her. Squall was hurt by this, but he thought he knew why. It was because of her powers. Lianne thought the powers her mother had passed on to her branded her a freak. A weirdo. A witch. She didn't want to learn how to use her powers, how to harness them and understand them. It was because of those powers that she found it so hard to make friends, and why she got picked on so much. The memories of the last Sorceress War still lived on, and magical abilities like Lianne's made her a potential threat of evil, in the eyes of the people who didn't understand. Why _didn't_ people understand? Squall sighed to himself. If Lianne hadn't been there at the time of Rinoa's terrible death, she wouldn't have those powers in the first place. It was strange. Lianne _used_ to care. She used to get very upset sometimes, but after she grew up and started being rejected by everyone around her, she just wanted to forget about her mother and her powers.

Squall's eyelids began to droop. It had been a long time since he had had a good night's sleep. He had done enough thinking for one night. Without even bothering to turn off the light, he let his mind slip into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Squall's Nightmare

_At least it was peaceful until the sounds of battle began to echo around him._

_It was awful. It was seven years ago, and he was there. He looked around with his blue eyes at the battlefield he had seen so many times since it had happened. But scarily, he was almost used to seeing it, even though reliving this day in his dreams was perhaps the worst torture ever imaginable._

_He looked with his mournful eyes down the path he always took. He began to trudge down it, his feet crunching on rubble as they hit the floor, he didn't want to come this way, but he had little choice. The nightmare would be more drawn-out and harder to bear if he didn't let it show him the images he wanted never to see again. _

_A large familiar building loomed up ahead of him as he took the path down to the centre of the battlefield. There, he stopped and stood on a small hill overlooking a deserted, barren wasteland that had once been a small neighbourhood. This was the place he had been standing seven years ago. He clenched his fists as he remembered what was going to happen next. He stared through the dust that was filling up the air of the once busy Timber town, and there, he saw them. Mother and daughter, running frantically across the rubble, stumbling over each other, hand-in-hand throwing desperate glances over their shoulder, breathing hard and heavy. Squall felt those same impulses to run to them as he had when this really happened. He took his first step down the hill and immediately lost his footing. Although it happened every time, it still shocked him. His heart caught in his throat as he tumbled down the hill. It might have been small, but it was steep. When he reached the bottom, his head spun from all the rocks he had hit on the way down, and a searing pain shot through his leg. Though he hadn't known it at the actual time of happening, he had broken his leg. That pain felt real. He looked up to where Rinoa and Lianne now were. They had stopped running, and Rinoa was now standing with Lianne behind her, shielding her protectively. Their eyes were full of fear, and Squall followed their petrified gazes up to the top of the building, where he could make out two figures with the blood-red sky cast behind them. One was of a child who looked barley older than Lianne herself, and the other was of a man, about Squall's age, poised and aiming with a gun in his hand..._

_Squall gasped, though he expected to see this sight. "Rinoa!!!" he called out to her, but his words scarcely seemed to reach her. She didn't even turn to look at him as a bullet shot from the man's gun with a resounding bang, slicing through the air and hit her straight through the stomach with a sickening thud. Her eyes showed nothing but pain as everything began to move in slow motion. Lianne watched in horror as her mother fell down, half-dead, beside her. She sank to her mother's side, her body paralyzed by fear. Squall felt a lump in his throat as he watched it again. He was so used to seeing this scene now, both in and out of his dreams, but each time he saw it, it seemed to be more painful to watch._

_He wanted to call out to her, but sorrow choked his words._

_He took a sharp glance up to the people at the top of the building, expecting another deadly bullet to come flying out of that gun. But to his surprise- well, his surprise at the time – the two figures were running away, hand-in-hand._

_He felt rage boil up inside him, and then, for a second, it subsided as the bleak light of the setting sun shone on to the face of the older of the two. Squall's heart seemed to stop as he caught sight of those familiar features, that sapphire blue hair, and that scar so much like his own..._

_He looked back to Rinoa and Lianne once more. His vision was starting to blur, his head starting to feel foggy and unclear, and his whole body was screaming in physical and emotional pain. _

"_Rinoa..." he muttered weakly, trying to pull himself across the ground towards them. This plan failed within a matter of seconds. The pain he was feeling hurt so much, he couldn't go on for very long. He watched instead from his place so far away. He could see Rinoa's seemingly lifeless body and Lianne leaning over her, sobbing. But she seemed to be talking to her. Squall squinted through his tainted vision, wondering if he was imagining what he could now see. Obviously now, he knew the answer to his question. He saw a strong blue ray of light emitting from Rinoa's body itself then filter into the sky. Squall shielded his eyes as a blinding light flashed across the horizon. When the light cleared, his daughter swayed and fell, unconscious, right next to her mother's still body._

"_Lianne..." Squall whispered. Then, before he could do anything else, darkness engulfed him as he blacked out cold._

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**Author's Note: **That's it for chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed this one.


	3. A Stranger Appears

Gentle clarinet notes echoed through the dormitory corridor that morning, as soon as the sun broke its soft light upon the Garden. The beautiful sound brought with it the gentle early morning scents and shimmering air. The piece that was being played represented Timber's loss of independence over its many years. The rising and falling of the melody showed its stages of defeat, and its moments of triumph. The piece was being played with an extreme amount of emotion and passion behind it, and people who rose to the song felt somewhat inspired to do something worthwhile with their day.

If someone had followed the notes to a dormitory not too far along the corridor, they would have found the source of the music.

A young girl of fourteen sat in front of an open window, the soft cotton curtains blowing around her like mist. In her hands was her clarinet, the same one her father had brought her five years ago.

As she played each peaceful note, a tear dropped down her cheek. She played her piece with such accuracy and feeling that it would have been impossible to tell that she was crying without looking at her. She didn't know why she was crying, but she did every time she played this piece. Something about it just conjured up all the emotion inside her until she was just about ready to burst. But she loved this piece, though she didn't know why. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful songs she had ever heard.

Finally, she hit the last few notes of the song - the most depressing and moving of them all, to represent the complete destruction of Timber, and the deaths of many people, including her mother. She let the last note fade away slowly, then took the clarinet from her lips and laid it on her lap. She brushed back her long brown hair from her face as she looked out of the window of her dorm. Her chocolate-brown eyes reflected the early-morning sun's light that was bouncing off the surface of the immense blue sea. Still, the tears ran down her face, falling on to her hands that were now clutching her clarinet. She wiped them away with her slender fingers, then sighed to herself.

"Lianne?"

Lianne looked up as she heard a voice outside of her dorm door call her name. She stood up slowly from her chair, placing the clarinet in the case that was lying open on the floor. She caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks were tear-stained and blotchy.

A soft tap on the door accompanied the sound of her father's voice again.

"Lianne?"

"Coming." She called to him. As she made her way over to the door, wondering how she was going to explain her tears, an old, greying dog padded out from under her table, towards her. As she opened the door, the dog stood loyally by her side as her father appeared on the other side of the door.

Squall saw his daughter's red eyes and his face creased up in worry. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Lianne snapped, hastily pushing some stray pieces of hair behind her ears, trying to look anywhere else but at her father.

Squall watched her for a few seconds, but he knew better than to pursue the subject. Instead he knelt down to the dog's height and patted her gently on the head. "Good morning, Angelo." He said, fondly. Recently he had developed a soft spot for Rinoa's old dog that now belonged to his daughter.

Lianne watched him carefully. "She's getting old now. It's starting to show." She said, seeing her chance to change the subject.

Squall looked into the dog's deep brown eyes and smiled. Those eyes once saw the world of their mistress. He gave her one last scratch behind the ear then stood up straight again. "Are you ready?"

Lianne's heart sank as she remembered she had training today with her father. He wanted her to become a SeeD like he was, and he didn't seem to care if she actually wanted to be one or not. Nearly everyday he took her to train with her very own gunblade. She was getting better with every training session, but the truth was, she didn't really want to fight. When she was younger, she wanted nothing more than to be a SeeD. He mother and father used to tell her inspiring stories about the important role SeeD had in the last Sorceress War. Since then, she had wanted to be part of the elite mercenary force. But since she had seen her own mother die in front of her on a battlefield, she had lost all her will to fight. She saw no purpose in it. To her, it was meaningless. But for fear of upsetting her father, she took part in his daily training every day. Not that she had any intention of being a SeeD anyway. She could easily flunk the exam. She sighed again and nodded. Her father gave her a small smile. "Good. Then get changed and I'll see you in the Training Centre in ten minutes."

"Okay..." She muttered, casting her gaze to the floor

"I'll see you there then." Squall nodded. He gave Angelo one last look before heading down the dormitory corridor towards the Training Centre.

Lianne went back into her room and slammed her door behind her. She looked down at Angelo, who was watching her with her big eyes.

"It's not fair." Lianne said, walking over to her bed and sitting down. "I don't want to be a stupid SeeD! I just want to live my life how I choose to!"

Angelo whined and nuzzled against Lianne's leg.

Lianne looked down at her and her expression softened. "I guess I should get ready. Dad'll make the training longer if I'm late." She stood up and brought out her Garden uniform from her wardrobe. With a scornful face, she changed out of her usual attire - the outfit her father said her mother used to wear, but she didn't believe him - and into her Garden uniform. Just for comfort, she slipped on her jacket - like her father's - and pulled out her necklace, that was silver, and the pendant heralded her trademark symbol: a heart engraved with a lion. It was these two things that made every outfit her own. She slipped into her black boots and made her way over to the black case that was leaning against the wall. She carefully removed the lid, Angelo watching carefully as she pulled out her weapon. The blade glimmered in the rising sun. Lianne kept it in good condition. She polished it when she had nothing to do, which was most of the time. The hard black handle always felt awkward in her small hands it felt so heavy to her, she had to carry it in two hands. So she scooped it up in both hands and made her way to the door. Angelo tagged along for a couple of seconds, until Lianne stopped and smiled down at her companion.

"I think training might be a little too exhausting for you, Angelo." Lianne said softly.

Angelo whimpered, but obediently padded back to her place under the table.

Lianne watched her go with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon." She shut the door gently behind her and began to make her way down the dormitory corridor, the gunblade still in her hands. As she watched the sunlight dance off it, casting pretty reflections around the corridor. She noticed the sun was quite high in the sky now. She must have been up for a few hours. Her stomach growled as she realised she'd missed breakfast.

Lianne got to the end of the corridor, still in her own little world, until she heard someone calling her name. She stopped and turned around to see someone running down the corridor towards her.

"Hey! Lianne! Wait up!" the girl called, getting a few meters further before tripping over and landing with a thud on the corridor floor.

Lianne, despite of the weight of the gunblade, ran up to her friend who was now sitting on the ground, rubbing the back of her head with a pained look in her face. Lianne held out her hand to help the girl up, giggling. "Hi, Leali."

Leali took Lianne's hand and pulled herself to her feet. "Geez, if I counted every time I did that in a day, I'd run out of fingers!"

Lianne laughed again.

Leali Kinneas was Lianne's best friend at Balamb Garden. Leali was perhaps the only person in the place who didn't distance herself from Lianne because of her powers. The ditzy fourteen year old was the daughter of Selphie and Irvine, two of Squall's best friends. She wanted to be a SeeD, and was learning the art of sharp shooting from the best teacher there could be - her dad, the best sniper in all the Gardens. She always knew the best way to make Lianne smile, even when she was feeling blue. Her bright green eyes sparkled with life, and there was always a large grin on her face.

Leali pushed her short red-brown hair out of her face. "So, where ya off to?" she said, eyeing the gunblade in Lianne's hand.

"Training." Lianne said, in a bored voice.

"Me too." Leali smiled. "Dad wants to give me another sharp-shooting lesson... although I'm not sure how much training we'll actually get done. Dad just spends the whole time eyeing up the girls. Mom'd go mad if she found out."

Lianne laughed. "Well, shall we walk down there together?" she said, feeling the weight of her Gunblade start to make her arm ache.

"Sure!" Leali nodded.

The two friends walked to the Training Centre, talking and laughing together. But as they stood at the entrance of the Training Centre and saw their fathers waiting just inside, talking to each other, Lianne's spirit dropped. Leali bounded over to her dad in her usual lively way.

"Hiya, dad! Leali beamed. "Hi, Squall!

"Come on then, we've got a lot of work to do!" Irvine said, ruffling his daughter's hair. Leali rolled her eyes to Lianne as she tried to straighten her hair again. "See, you later, Lianne." Leali called after her as she and her father disappeared into the Training Centre.

Squall looked at Lianne, who was struggling with the weight of her weapon. He wondered to himself if he had his hopes set too high for her. He wondered if she really was the fighting type.

"So are we going then or what?" Lianne said, impatiently. Standing still with her weapon was worse then walking with it. All the muscles in her arms were screaming in pain and her back was aching.

"Yes." Squall said, leading her inside. He watched Lianne trudge slowly behind him, the tip of her blade dragging in the dirt behind her. "Well... first let's review how to handle a gunblade properly..."

Just at that moment, the Garden intercom came on; drowning out Lianne's protesting moans. "Squall, please come to the Bridge as soon as possible. There's someone here to talk with you." Quistis' voice came over the intercom.

Squall groaned. "I thought I told them not to interrupt me during your training... oh well, I better go."

"Can I come?" Lianne asked, eager to make this last as long as possible so she could perhaps miss her training.

"I suppose so." Squall said, knowing that he wasn't going to win any arguments with her if her told her to stay put.

Lianne grinned, then realised something. "Erm... dad? Could you carry this for me?" she asked innocently, holding out her gunblade with pleading eyes.

Squall sighed, but took the weapon from her. Then made his way to the Bridge, Lianne in tow.

When he lift stopped on the top floor, they both got out and walked into the Bridge, took one last lift up to the control panel of the Garden, where they were greeted by a group of people. Most of these Lianne recognised. There was Quistis Trepe; she was once her father's SeeD instructor, but now she was one of his best friends. And there was Xu and Nida who had controlled the Garden for years. The Headmaster of the Garden, Cid, was also there. But there was one person she did not know. He was a boy about her age, with vivid blue eyes and brown hair with sapphire blue streaks. She peeped out from behind Squall at this new stranger. He looked at her in return, his blue eyes chilling her slightly.

"This is Alix Shuray. He has come to the Garden wanting to speak to you." Quistis explained, gesturing towards the boy.

Squall looked at the boy and a strange thought hit his mind. Had he seen him somewhere before? He just seemed familiar in some way... Squall nodded towards him, indicating for him to continue.

Alix took a deep breath, took one last look at Lianne, then began to speak. "I have a message for you. He didn't mean to do it. It was Seifer. He had no choice. He hopes you'll forgive him, even though he can't apologise in person anymore. He just wants you to remember one thing: _Pas Ilmund tu Livonde."_

For a minute, the air went deadly silent. All that could be heard was Squall's heavy breathing. Nobody could see his face; he had his head hung so low. His grip was tightening and loosening on the handle of Lianne's gunblade. Everybody watched him closely for a reaction.

Lianne watched him with baited breath, wondering if he was going to hurt Alix. It did look like he was going to for a second.

"You mean..." Squall said, eventually. He sounded as though he was talking through gritted teeth. "... You mean Xinn... don't you?"

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**Author's Note:** It's starting to get exciting now... hee hee... by the way, just a little pronunciation note here:

Leali is pronounced Lee-ah-lee. (I've known some people call her Lee-lee )

Pas Ilmund tu Livonde is pronounced Pas Ilmund tu Livond-ay (It's all the same except for the last part)


	4. Realisation

Lianne slammed her dormitory door shut behind her for the second time that day, making Angelo bark in surprise. She sat down on her bed with a heavy thud. Angelo came over and lay at her feet. Lianne looked at her with a frown.

"I hate not knowing what's going on!" Lianne felt like she wanted to scream. "Dad won't tell me a thing! He's too busy sulking in his dorm to tell me! Who is that kid?!"

Angelo looked up at her with her gleaming eyes as if she didn't understand what Lianne was talking about.

Lianne clenched her fists as she thought back to what had happened on the Bridge.

When Alix had finished delivering his 'message', and her father had finished babbling on about the stranger known as 'Xinn', Alix had nodded, and continued speaking. "He told me to find you if I needed any help, he wanted me to pass on that message too. And I also came here to warn you, Seifer's..."

"Enough!!" Squall had yelled, tossing Lianne's gunblade aside in his rage. Everyone in the vicinity jumped aside in shock as the gunblade spun across the floor.

"Squall, I really think you should..." Quistis started.

"No! I don't want to hear what he has to say! I don't want to hear about Xinn, or anyone else he has to talk about! I just... I just don't want to hear it..." Squall appeared, to Lianne, to be on the brink of tears.

Her father had then sulked off to his dormitory, seeming more anti-social by the minute. Lianne had been told to go back to her dormitory, and not to bother her father. Of course, she protested, but Xu was then instructed to escort her out. As she walked, being prodded in the back by Xu all the way, she threw fleeting glances over her shoulder at the group of people she left behind. All the way out, she could see Alix, watching her. His bright blue eyes were fixed on her, some kind of hopeful glint in his eyes. She stared back, until she was no longer able to see him.

And now, here she was sitting in her dormitory, feeling completely clueless. "Who is Xinn? Who is Alix? Who is – wait a second..." Lianne's eyes widened as she hit something. "Seifer?"

Angelo looked up sharply at Lianne, as if the name was familiar to her.

"I've heard that name before!" Lianne stood up sharply. "But where?!"

Angelo barked a few times, as if trying to tell Lianne something.

Lianne looked at Angelo thoughtfully for a few seconds

"Seifer... didn't my mom used to know someone named Seifer?"

Angelo barked again, as if answering Lianne's question.

"Yeah! That's right, isn't it?!" Lianne grinned, clapping her hands together. "And he was my dad's rival, yeah?!"

Angelo barked yet again, making Lianne's smile even bigger. She knew she was on to something.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Lianne shut up quickly, then walked over to the door to open it. Angelo padded along with her. As Lianne pulled it open, she saw Quistis.

Quistis smiled to her, somewhat nervously. "Lianne, Alix would like to speak with you."

"Me?" Lianne looked puzzled. "Um... okay... where is he?"

"I told him to wait in the Quad. He'll meet you there." Quistis explained.

Lianne nodded. "Okay!" she was already half-way out of the door..

Quistis put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Wait a minute! Your father asked me to give you this." Quistis held out Lianne's gunblade to her.

Lianne took it with a not-so-grateful smile. "Thanks." She said, before dashing off down the corridor towards the Quad.

She soon regretted carrying her gunblade all the way there. By the time she reached the Quad entrance every bone in her body ached. But it wasn't really bothering her now; maybe she was about to find out what was going on!

As she walked inside, gunblade dragging on the ground behind her, she saw Alix sitting on a nearby bench, looking out across the sea with a smile on his face. As she approached, the sound of her footsteps made him turn. He gave her a grin, and stood up.

"So you're Lianne, right?" he said, then threw her weapon a surprised look. "I've never seen a girl with a gunblade before."

Lianne looked at her gunblade, then back at Alix. "Well, I'm not that good with it. My dad's been teaching me how to ..." she cut off. "Hey, wait a sec, that's not what I'm here to talk about! What was all that about on the Bridge?!"

Alix looked awkward for a second, then said. "Well, before I start, I think you ought to come and sit down."

Lianne nodded and walked around him, watching him all the time. She took a seat on the bench, and he sat down next to her. She knew whatever was coming couldn't be good. Well, he at least expected it to shock her, or he wouldn't have told her to sit down. It was obviously something he didn't think she could take standing up.

They sat there in an awkward silence for a few seconds, staring blankly at each other. "So...?" Lianne said, growing impatient. She propped up her gunblade so it leant against the bench, just to the right of her. She gave a sigh of relief, glad to be free of the weapon's weight.

"There's a message I need to pass on to your father. It's very important. But he doesn't seem to want to listen to me." Alix said, shortly.

Lianne frowned. "So where do I come into this?"

"I need you to speak with him. Maybe he'll listen to you."

"Okaaay... so this message is...?"

"This will concern you too." Alix hesitated. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Lianne nodded, a determined look on her face. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright then, if you think you're ready." Alix took a deep breath. "You remember sorceress Edea, right?"

"Yeah." How could she forget sorceress Edea? She was the woman who had brought up Squall and his friends as if they were her own children. She was also the wife of the Headmaster of Garden, Cid Kramer. But she had died on a visit to Esthar quite recently.

"Since she passed away eight years ago, Esthar have had her body preserved in the old Sorceress Memorial, as part of their newest experiment. You see, Esthar have found that when a sorceress dies, a small entity goes on living in their body, like some kind of energy. They want to know if they can somehow use this energy to advance their technology." Alix looked down at his feet. "And any sorceress who died since that time has been preserved along with her. That means... your mother's there too."

Lianne watched him closely as he spoke, then frowned at him when he finished. "But I knew all this already! And so does my dad!"

"Wait, I haven't finished yet!" Alix said. "You do know about how Galbadia's missile base plan started a couple of years ago, right?"

Lianne started to get annoyed; all she was being told were things she already knew, and had known for ages. Fourteen years ago, Galbadia tried to take over Timber to build a missile base where the town once stood. Her father and his friends had thwarted the plan, but then, seven years later, it had started up again, which was when her mother died. Her mother had dedicated her whole life to giving Timber its independence, and had died doing so. Lianne also knew that after Timber was destroyed shortly after Rinoa's death and Galbadia's missile base foundations were put down, the Galbadian Army had, for some reason unknown to anyone else, called off work on the missile base.

"Of course I know that!!" She felt like screaming at him, but managed to keep her cool, and her voice calm. "But who is this Seifer and Xinn and what..."

"Hold your chocobos! Let me continue!" Alix interrupted. "Seifer is the leader of the Galbadian Army. He started the missile base plan, and he called off work on it too. I need to tell your dad what he's up to now."

"Which is?"

"Well, I believe he called off the missile base construction to send his main troops into Esthar. I think he wants that power of the sorceresses for himself. Possibly to try and resurrect Ulitimecia."

Lianne's eyes flickered. "Did you say Ulitimecia?"

"Yeah, you know who she is, right?"

Lianne began to lose her temper with Alix then. "Of course I know!! Stop treating me as if I don't know anything! I wasn't born brain-dead, and I'm not blind, deaf or stupid! So please, just carry on and stop asking me if I know what you're talking about! If I don't know, I'll ask, okay?!"

Alix fell quiet for a second, just staring at her as if he couldn't believe she was capable of such a tantrum. "Right... well... yes I did say Ulitimecia. And Seifer might be trying to bring her back to full power, which would undoubtedly lead to another Sorceress War."

Lianne nodded slowly, starting to come to terms with what Alix was talking about. "So he's going to try and steal that power from Esthar?"

"Yeah, more than likely. You know what that means, right?" Alix said, a smirk on his face.

"Yes, it means I'm getting annoyed with you, right?!" Lianne said, clenching her fists, realising that Alix was trying to wind her up.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Alix said, laughing. "But what it does mean is that Seifer would probably try to take the bodies of the sorceresses from the Memorial." He hesitated a little as though trying to be careful with his words. "That includes your mother."

Alix studied Lianne's face carefully. Whatever she was thinking right then was very unclear to anyone, even herself. She diverted her eyes to the floor as she tried to piece together what she was feeling. Was it anger? Or sadness? Guilt, even?

"Listen, I understand how hard this might be for you to hear - after all, I didn't really want to tell you in the first place." Alix reached out and put a hand gently on her arm. "But I had to. I don't know anyone else Squall will listen to. I need him to hear my message, and to listen to my warning about Seifer's next plan."

Lianne felt the touch on her arm, but didn't react. She sat completely still, and continued to stare at the floor, trying to get a grasp on the whirlwind of emotions spiralling inside her. "He won't listen to me. He never does."

Alix looked a little confused. "I'm sure he does. How can a father not listen to his child?"

"Easily. Ask my dad, he'll explain."

"I bet it's not that bad." Alix tried to give a reassuring smile.

Lianne glanced up and looked Alix straight in the eye. "What's not that bad? The fact that a father doesn't listen to his daughter? The fact that he can't even look her in the face when he's talking to her? The fact that he wants her to live the perfect little life he and her mother planned out for her months before she was even born? But you wouldn't even know what that's like, would you? I bet you've lived all happy with your little family, with lots of friends, without freaky powers that make everyone brand you a weirdo, just living life just how you want to!"

Alix blinked a few times, seeing the anger pent up inside of Lianne. Her eyes shone with tears, but she was holding them back. "Lianne, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..." His grip on her arm tightened, as he began to feel sorry for her. But it wasn't as if his life had been picture perfect either.

As she felt the pressure on her arm grow, she stood up hastily from the bench, harshly wiping away tears that were starting to fall from her eyes before Alix could see them. "Don't pretend to feel sorry for me!!!"

Alix jumped up from his seat too, alarmed by Lianne's sudden outburst. He could see the situation getting dangerous, and the last thing he wanted was to upset Lianne. Without her, he wouldn't be able to deliver his message. "I'm not pretending, honest." He said, as calmly as he could.

Lianne found his words somewhat soothing, but it didn't stop all those emotions raging inside her. She stood there for a moment, at a loss for what to say next. Then, all of a sudden, she stormed off towards the entrance of the Quad, making her gunblade fall with a clatter to the floor. She didn't look back once, nor did she backtrack to collect her weapon.

Alix just stood and watched as she stormed off out of sight. Then with a heavy sigh, he sat back down on the bench, picking up Lianne's gunblade as he did so. He rested it on his lap and examined it for a couple of minutes, thinking about Lianne's reaction. It was a bit like her father's really. Alix hoped she didn't think he'd set out to upset her, because he hadn't. All he needed was some help. But he wasn't too worried about getting help from Lianne - he knew all she needed was some time to think.

* * *

**Author's Note:** What a chapter.. Lianne's had one of her famous tantrums already, and she's been talking to a dog...


	5. Yet Again

Yet again, Lianne found herself barging into her room, slamming the door behind her and scaring Angelo half to death.

Her fists were still clenched, and she was still seething. She had managed to stop the tears falling down her cheeks, but all that anger built up inside of her made her feel as if she needed to cry it all away. But she refused to cry.

"I won't cry for her." Lianne said, through gritted teeth.

Angelo, who had crept out from under the table upon Lianne's dramatic entrance, whined and shied away under the harshness of Lianne's stare.

Lianne sat down heavily on the wooden chair she had been sitting on while playing her clarinet earlier. That now seemed like a lifetime ago. Angelo kept her distance from Lianne, sensing her rage.

Lianne bit her lip and stared out across the beautiful ocean she could see from her dorm window. She forced back the tears that were prickling dangerously at the back of her eyelids. "I just want to get away from here." She said, her voice surprisingly calm and full of self-sorrow. "I don't want to stay in this stupid Garden, and I don't want to be a stupid SeeD either. I just don't want to fight. But just because my dad wants me to, I have no choice. I want to go out there, into the world and have my own adventures, and live my own life. I want to get away from dad, Alix, everyone. Including my mom's past. I swear sometimes they think that I'm my mom. They don't seem to get the fact that I am my own person. And I just want to get rid of these stupid powers I have. It's my mom's fault I have them. So, it's my mom's fault my life is practically ruined, I guess."

Angelo padded up to Lianne's side, seeing a little calm in her mistress. She sat loyally at Lianne's side, gazing up at her.

Lianne looked down at the dog, her vision slightly obscured by tears. She put a hand gently on Angelo's head, and scratched her ears. Angelo tilted her head to one side, still watching Lianne carefully.

"I'm going to sleep for a while." Lianne sighed. "I need to think things through."

Angelo watched Lianne as she walked, as if in a daze, towards the bed, and climbed in sleepily.

As soon as Lianne's head hit the pillow, she was already fast asleep. The day's events had been a little too stressful on her.


	6. Prepare Yourself

She was woken just a few hours later by a knock at the door. She rose from her bed in a half-asleep state, and looked at Angelo in confusion. It took her a while to realise the noise that had woken her up was someone knocking the door. She snapped awake and made her way over to it. She pulled it open, and rubbed her eyes from sleep as she looked at the person standing there.

"Hi." Alix smiled to Lianne, nervously. "I...erm, brought this back for you."

Lianne looked to his hand as held out her gunblade. She scowled. "You woke me up for that? You could have kept it, you know."

Alix smiled and shrugged, "Why would I do that? I got one of my own!"

Lianne frowned and snatched the gunblade from his grasp. "Well, thanks. You can go now." She went to close the door, but Alix put out his hand to stop it.

"Not so fast! I wanted to ask you something too." He said, as though scared of upsetting her again.

Lianne didn't open the door fully again, but spoke to him through the gap already there. "What now?"

"Are you ready to speak to your father?" Alix said, hastily.

Lianne blinked at him a few times, and the silence made Alix wonder if he'd pushed it too far.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Alix looked shocked. "Erm... okay!"

Lianne went back inside and placed her gunblade in its case against the wall. She returned to the door, and turned to say to Angelo, "I won't be long." Then she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

"So... where would he be?" Alix asked.

Lianne thought for a second. "Well... we should probably try his dorm first."

Alix nodded and set off down the corridor. "Anyway, what made you change your mind?"

Lianne shrugged, walking slowly alongside Alix. "I just... had some time to think, that's all."

"Oh, okay." Alix said, realising that he shouldn't push it too far, or she might change her mind.

"This is his room." Lianne said, stopping at a door on their right-hand side. Alix stopped alongside her. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Alix smiled.


	7. The Pain of Memories

Squall was leaning up against the wall of his dorm, his forehead pressed against the windowpane. His hot breath was creating mist on the glass, and his ice-blue eyes reflected the bright afternoon sun.

After seven years, the death of Rinoa has come back to haunt him. The nightmares were bad enough, but now living, breathing people were back to remind him of that fateful day. The last thing he wanted was to remember it. If he had to relive it all again, it would probably be the last of him. Just the sheer memories made him feel weak. He sighed, wishing he could tell someone. He found this a strange feeling, as it was not his character to be trusting in others. But he had no way to say it and no one to tell.

Just then, his train of thought was broken by a soft knock on the door, accompanied by his daughter's voice. "Dad?"

Squall stood upright, and made his way over to the door. He opened it reluctantly; the last thing he needed was to see his daughter now. But maybe it was time for him to start acting like a real father.

Lianne stood on the other side of the door, and as her father appeared in the doorway, she smiled at him as best she could.

Squall skimmed his eyes over those too familiar features- her large brown eyes, her soft smile and slender hands. He felt as though he were seeing Rinoa once again.

"Dad, we need to speak to you." Lianne said, some kind of nervous edge to her voice - she knew he had been quite upset since Alix's appearance.

Squall was about to ask what she meant by 'we', until he saw Alix lurking behind her. He frowned, but he had a feeling whatever Lianne had to say had to be important; she always needed a very good excuse to come and speak to him. And to add to that, he wasn't too happy about Lianne speaking to Alix. He wanted nothing to do with Alix, and he most defiantly wasn't interested in his message from Xinn. But what was done was done now, and there was nothing he could do to change it. But, despite all this, he stepped back and allowed them both to come in.

"What is it?" he asked, giving Alix a disapproving look.

"Please listen to what Alix has to say, dad." Lianne pleaded. "I think it's important for you to know."

Squall didn't look too enthusiastic about the idea, but he nodded, still watching Alix. Maybe he could try to listen - there was nothing to say he had to believe whatever he said.

"Thanks, Squall." Alix said. "I think this is something you really need to know. You _and_ Lianne."

"Just get on with it." Squall said in an angry tone.

"I have some info on Seifer." Alix said, simply. "I think I know why he called off the construction on the Timber missile base. He has a new plan. I'm sure you know about the Esthar Sorceress Memorial's new use, for the experiment on the bodies of past sorceresses. He wants to..."

"Lianne! Go back to your dorm, now!" Squall suddenly shouted.

Lianne looked confused. "Why?!"

"Just do it." Squall said through gritted teeth.

Lianne's face creased up in anger, and she stormed out of the door.

Alix watched this exchange with a puzzled look.

Squall took a step nearer to Alix. "What poison have you been pumping into my daughter?"

"I... haven't! Squall, please! It's the truth, I swear it. I needed to tell her so she could tell you!" Alix pleaded, talking very fast. "This concerns her as much as it concerns you!"

"I don't want any part of your lies, and neither does Lianne." Squall scowled. "Just go back to wherever you came from, and leave us both alone!"

Alix stared back at Squall for a brief moment, then turned around and walked towards the door. He put his hand on the handle, then stopped. Without turning his back, he said, "I know you're blaming me for what my father did. But don't you think I deserve a chance? You don't even know the whole story. It wasn't really my dad. Of course, you're not interested. It's all the same to you, isn't it? Basically_, I'm_ my father... and you keep seeing Lianne as Rinoa. Can't you see who we really are? If you can't give me that chance, at least give it to your daughter. It would be better for both of you."

Squall eyes were boring into Alix's back as he spoke. "You're telling me how to bring up my child? You're barley older than she is."

"No, I'm telling you to stop treating her like Rinoa and more like Lianne. Get a grip on yourself, Squall. You're living in your own little world." Alix then disappeared through the door, before Squall could say anything else.

Squall watched him leave, his words still circling around Squall's mind.

* * *

**Author's Note: **How's it going so far? Let me know, please...


	8. Wise Word From a Friend

Lianne didn't go back to her dormitory as she was told to. She was now storming her way up the library corridor. She had no idea why she was heading this way. In fact, she had no idea of anything right then.

She walked with her eyes cast to the floor, cursing her father under her breath. As she marched along the corridor, not looking where she was going, she suddenly collided with someone and stumbled a few steps.

The girl she had bumped into fell to the floor with a short scream. "Gee, that's the fifth time today..."

Lianne looked at the girl, and realised who it was. "Oh... sorry, Leali."

Leali shook her head, standing up. "It's okay. I'm used to it, remember?" Leali's bright green eyes filled with worry as she got a look at Lianne's face. "Lianne? Hey, what's wrong"?

"It's too long a story." Lianne said, not looking back at her friend in case she noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Come on, you can tell me." Leali said, reaching up to place an arm around Lianne's shoulders. She had always been shorter than everyone else of her age in the Garden, including Lianne.

Leali took Lianne through to the library, where Lianne had explained everything. Leali listened with an interested expression, nodding in all the right places. Lianne felt as though she was telling the story to a whole room full of people. By the time Lianne had finished, Leali was literally on the edge of her seat.

"Wow... and that all happened today?" Leali asked, gob-smacked.

Lianne nodded solemnly.

"Why am I in all the wrong places at the wrong time?" Leali groaned. "I miss all the good stuff."

"Well, it wasn't that good, believe me." Lianne said, her voice close to a whisper. She knew to be quiet in the library, and so did Leali, but her friend as making no effort to keep her noise down. All the other people sitting around the tables in the library kept throwing harsh stares over at the group of chairs the two were sitting on. Leali wasn't taking any notice.

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm not being very considerate, am I?" Leali said.

"It's okay. I just don't know what I'm gonna do, Leali... my dad won't tell me anything, and I've got a feeling he's not gonna listen to Alix. But what if Seifer does try to take the sorceresses bodies from the Memorial? I don't know what would happen to my mom."

Leali watched her friend with concern. "I didn't think you cared about her..."

"I'm not sure what I feel anymore." Lianne said, keeping her gaze away from Leali's face. "I guess... in a way, I sort of do care... she is my mom, after all. But then again, it's because of my mom I have these stupid powers... and that my dad can't even talk to me anymore..."

"D'you know what?" Leali gave Lianne a reassuring smile. "I think you just need your dad to talk to you. You know, to see you as his daughter, and not his lost love. Is that what you blame your mother for, maybe?"

"Maybe..." Lianne said, realising that Leali's words did make some kind of sense.

"I know you've heard this a thousand times from Quistis and everyone else, but you really need to understand the situation you're father's in. My mom and dad tell me that you become more like Rinoa, in looks and in personality." Leali said, patting her hand on Lianne's shoulder, causing Lianne to look up, and finally look her in the eye. "And you should be proud of that, you know. Your mom was really great. But at the same time, think about how this is affecting Squall. But I think he would be less distant if you showed a little interest in your mother and your powers. It's a vicious circle. The more you resent you mother for making your father distant towards you, the further away he becomes. You see?"

"Yeah... yeah, I think I do..." Lianne said, coming to some kind of realisation.

"And then, once your dad has started talking to you and listening to you more, maybe he could hear Alix out." Leali shrugged. "I think it will make your dad feel a little bit better too, if you start asking questions."

"I think it's a great plan. Thanks, Leali." Lianne managed a weak smile.

"No problem." Leali winked. "I just wish I was part of this crazy adventure too!"

After saying goodbye to Leali a few minutes earlier, Lianne was making her way up the dorm corridor. She was considering all the things Leali had said. She could either carry on up the corridor towards her dorm, or take a detour visit to her father in his dorm. As she drew closer to Squall's dormitory, she knew what she had to do. She was going to do it for everyone. Not just her father and herself, but for Alix too. Maybe Squall would listen to what he had to say after Lianne had spoken to him.

She stopped in front of Squall's door and knocked gently, her heart practically in her mouth. She heard her father approach the door and slide back the lock. When his face appeared on the gap, Lianne couldn't even smile to him. His expression was troubled and he seemed very tired.

"Lianne?" Squall said, opening the door a little wider.

"Dad... can you tell me about her?" Lianne said, her eyes shining with tears and her heart thumping against her ribs. "About mom?"

Squall looked stunned for a moment, and Lianne wondered if the silence meant she had asked for too much. Then, much to her surprise, he smiled gently. "Yes. I will. But not here..."

"Where then?" Lianne said, smiling also.

"Follow me."


	9. So Much Like Her

When Lianne and Squall arrived at their destination, Lianne was starting to wonder whether this had been a bad idea after all. She had only just realised that this subject could be a little difficult for Squall to talk about, and maybe even harder for Lianne to listen to. This talk wasn't going to be as easy as she had first anticipated.

Squall had brought her to the Secret Area of the Training Centre. She had no idea why. Squall leant against the railing that ran along the edge of the area. Lianne, instead, pulled herself up and sat on it, just next to where her father stood.

It was night now. That day seemed to have gone so slow, and night felt as though it had taken an age to fall. The sky was coloured an inky-black hue, and the stars sparkled like sugar diamonds scattered among the mist-like clouds. Squall looked up at this spectacular sky as he said. "So what is it you want to know?"

"The first thing that comes to your mind." Lianne said, shaking her head slightly.

Squall looked a little uncomfortable; and fell silent.

Lianne watched her father carefully and saw his awkward stare. "Okay. So what about when you first met her?"

Squall glanced around him for a second, noticing the Secret Area was deserted but for him and Lianne. For a moment, he was silent; but then, he suddenly launched into his story. "It was at the ball after my SeeD exam. I was watching everyone else from the sidelines. I wasn't really interested."

Lianne studied her father carefully. He was talking in a reminiscent tone, his eyes were glazed and full of tears, but there was a smile on his face. It was though he was talking to himself. Lianne realised that Squall told himself this story over and over again, countless times. From everything Quistis, Zell, Irvine and Selphie had told her about the deepest parts of Squall's personality, this was very unlike him.

"But she came over to me, and asked me to dance. I could feel her confidence just radiating from her, and her smile and her eyes..." Squall drifted off, almost into his own world. A few moments later, he looked at Lianne. "... Like yours. And you have... that some confidence."

Lianne's eyes filled with tears also, as a surge of pride ran through her. "Really?"

"Of course." Squall said, placing his hand upon his daughter's that was curled around the railing. Your mother was... very inspirational. You take after your mother for that, so much. You both made me change a lot. I never used to be this way. I never used to feel these things, and I definitely never used to tell them."

Lianne slipped down from the railing to her feet. "Dad..." she moved forward and put her arms around her too. Tears rolled down his cheeks and dropped into her dark brown hair. _This was the first time she had hugged him in seven years..._

"I'm sorry, dad. I'm sorry I didn't understand." Lianne muttered, her face buried into his jacket. It was finally starting to dawn on her; how hard things were for her father. She could relate to it- for at that moment, deep inside, she realised she felt the same way. She had felt the same way all her life; she just kept lying to herself that she didn't. Now she knew that from now on, she must never deny her true feelings.


	10. First Time for Everything

"_Fire_..." Lianne whispered to herself. She watched as crackling flames danced around her fingers and illuminated her pitch-black dorm. Angelo was fast asleep under her table, and Lianne was sitting on her bed in total darkness. She curled her fingers through the flames, and they did not burn her. She watched the last flickers of the flame die out in the palm of her hand, where she clenched her fist around the embers and smiled to herself. It had taken quite a long time to practise, but that had to be the longest time she'd kept it burning yet. She was beginning to feel tired. Using real, pure magic actually exhausted her. She hadn't expected this; using the Garden's para-magic was so easy and effortless. But no matter how she tired she was becoming, she couldn't sleep yet.

"_Fire_..."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for such a short chapter! Future ones will be longer, I promise!


	11. Trust

* * *

"_Squall..."_

_Squall shielded his eyes against the bright blue light radiating in front of him. He couldn't see anything see anything but that blue light._

"_Squall..."_

_Squall's heart missed a beat. He knew that voice. He could recognise it anywhere. "Rinoa?"_

"_Squall... please, you must listen to them." Rinoa's voice was emitting from that blue light somehow._

"_Listen to... who?" Squall said, squinting through the light to find her._

"_Lianne and Alix. What they say is important. You have to do something to stop Seifer's plan. All that Alix is saying is the truth."_

_Squall fell silent. Not knowing what was going on. His mind was in a great state of confusion. "But Alix is...'"_

"_I know, but you mustn't judge him by his father's actions. You don't even know the whole story. I promise, if you go on this mission, with Alix, you will find every answer you need."_

"_I will?" Squall blinked a few times as a pure white feather drifted down through the bright light._

"_If you trust me, Squall, you'll do this. You do trust me, don't you?" The blue of the light was getting paler and paler, slowly, but never ceasing its brightness._

"_Of course, Rinoa. Of course I do."_ He felt as if he could cry as the light completely distinguished, and the next moment Squall found himself in his dorm, shaking and sweat broke over him.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It might take me a while to get some new chapters up... my good friend Leanne is typing up the rest of this story right now. Don't worry, it'll be here very soon! In the meantime, please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Oh, and a thank you to those of you that have already left reviews. Thanks for your support!


	12. What He Knows

**Author's Note: **Sorry this chapter took so long to be put up, but I've been really busy recently. I will try to get the next chappie up as soon as I can!

* * *

Alix awoke the next morning in the dormitory Quistis had kindly allocated for him just a little way down the corridor from Lianne's. Quistis had insisted he stay - apparently, all Squall needed was some time to think, and then he would listen. Alix wanted to believe this, but he had no idea how the whole thing would turn out. His first instinct was to go and speak to Lianne, until he stepped out of his dorm door and looked across the corridor out of the window, and saw the early morning sun. He sighed. He didn't want to risk waking her up if she wasn't already awake. That wasn't the way to handle things. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled the smell of the early morning air. And just a split second after he did this, the sound of running feet coming towards him made him open his eyes sharply. But before he had time to react, the person had collided with him, and they had both fell to the ground.

Alix scrambled to his feet and immediately went on the defensive, as he had been brought up that way. He looked at the girl, still sitting on the floor, cursing. "Again... how many times in one day..." then she turned her bright green eyes up at him. "Hey, sorry, pal."

Alix let down his guard and ran his hand over his brown and blue spikes nervously, embarrassed to have been scared by her. He grinned, "That's okay."

He watched her pull herself to her feet, her red-brown hair fell into her eyes, and she pulled it away, giving him a broad smile in the process. He noticed her Garden uniform; she was obviously a student here. She studied him for a second, her head on one side.

Alix felt a little uncomfortable under her stare, and just smiled nervously, until she said. "Heeey... you're Alix, aren't you?"

Alix nodded. "Yeah. But... who are you?"

The girl smiled, again, her green eyes sparkling. "I'm Leali Kinneas. I'm Lianne's best friend. She told me about you."

Before Alix could say anything else, a short note of a woodwind instrument echoed down the corridor and filled the air. The notes continued their crescendo, rising like that early morning sun.

Leali stopped and listened thoughtfully, and watched Alix's reaction, the confusion was fairly obvious on his face. He was about to ask what the beautiful sound was, when Leali spoke. "The princess is awake."

"What?" Alix looked puzzled still.

"Lianne, silly! She's playing her clarinet." Leali laughed. "She plays this piece every morning."

Alix nodded as he understood. So now he knew she was awake he could go speak to her.

"You probably shouldn't interrupt her though." Leali said, as if reading his mind. "She can get kinda... emotional when she plays this piece."

"What is it?" asked Alix, out of interest. The sounds of the piece were still echoing around the corridor and into his eardrums. The notes filled his head, as confident and powerful as the strong colours now sparkling from the sun.

"I don't know what it's called." Leali said, listening too. "But I think it's supposed to represent Timber's independence. You know, the rising and falling thing."

"I see."

"Well, Al, I gotta split. I got training with my dad. He'll kill me if I'm late."

"Okay. See ya around, Leali."

"Yeah, catch ya later!"

Alix watched Leali leave, then turned to walk towards Lianne's dorm. He knew now not to disturb her; but to be honest, he didn't want to. Those notes were played with such passion and sounded so amazing, all he wanted to do was listen. He sat down outside Lianne's door, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes and letting the music wash him over like water. When the piece reached its dramatic climax, and the last strong notes faded away around him, he awoke himself from the kind of dream-state he was listening in, rose to his feet and knocked on Lianne's door.

It was a while before she answered. When she eventually did, she peeped through a small gap that she opened in the door. Her eyes seemed slightly red, as if she had been crying. "Oh! Hi, Alix." She said, obviously not expecting his visit. She turned her face away and cast her eyes to the floor, hoping he would not see her weakness at that moment.

Alix however, did notice this, but neglected to mention it. He knew it probably wasn't a great way to pursue the conversation he was hoping to strike up. "Good morning." He said a gentle smile on his face. "I heard your music. You're a good player."

"Oh... erm... thank you." Lianne blushed, still averting her gaze.

He smiled at her for a few more moments, then said, "Listen, I meant to ask you about your dad. Have you spoken to him recently?"

Lianne though back to the conversation she had had with her father the previous night. She saw no need to tell Alix about it. It didn't concern him anyway. She turned the conversation away from this subject - well, sort of.

"No. I'm guessing he didn't hear you out yesterday?"

Alix shook his head solemnly. "'Fraid not."

Lianne sighed heavily. "I didn't think he would... D'you know what? I think we should go speak to him one last time. And his time, we'll make him see sense, even if it's the last thing we do."

Alix could see the determination building up inside Lianne, and panicked, not wanting her to get out of hand. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Lianne..."

"Are you kidding? I thought you were all for this! After all, it's your message we're trying to get across here!" Lianne raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, but I don't think Squall will be ready to listen."

"Oh, come on!" Lianne said, pushing her way out of the door, closing it behind her, then grabbing Alix around the wrist and dragging him up the corridor towards her father's dorm. "You'll never know until you try, right?"

As Alix watched her knock on Squall's door, he felt a wave of gratitude towards her. He hadn't expected her to help him get the message through to Squall, but he now realised that he would not be able to do it without her. He smiled to her, and she returned it, as Squall opened the door.

"Dad? Can we speak to you again?" Lianne said.

Squall's gaze drifted across Alix, an unsure look on his face. He let his stare fall to see Lianne still clutching Alix's wrist.

Lianne watched her father carefully for a few seconds, wondering what he was looking at. Then she realised, and dropped Alix's wrist as if it were white-hot. "So, is that a yes?" she said, hastily, trying to make him forget what he had jut seen.

Squall nodded, and stepped back to let them both in, giving Lianne a disapproving look as she stepped inside. Although his relationship with his daughter may have improved substantially since the previous night's conversation, Squall still felt as though he could not trust Alix. He felt as if the minute he turned his back Alix would be plotting death threats for him, or something. Squall knew he might just be being paranoid, but he knew at the same time he was going to have to drop his paranoia sometime soon, and learn to trust Alix. After his dream last night, Squall figured what Lianne and Alix wanted to talk to him about, and knew how he was going to tackle the situation.

"So you're still talking about stopping Seifer and the Galbadian Army, huh?" Squall's question was directed at Alix.

Alix looked at little uncomfortable in the situation. He had been planning to tackle Squall on his own a little later in the day, giving Squall time to think things through some more; and for himself to come up with what he was going to say. "Well I was hoping to talk to you about that..."

"What are your plans for stopping the army?" Squall asked, urgency in his voice.

Lianne's eyes lit up and she smiled at her father with a surge of pride towards him. He was coming round.

Alix considered Squall's question, then, thinking some more, he realised that Squall was actually interested, and there was a faint glimmer of hope that Squall might now listen to everything he had to say. Alix smiled too, and searched his mind for the plan he had been formulating carefully in his mind for the past couple of days. "Well I think that first move we should make is to the Galbadian headquarters based in Deling City..."

"Squall, we need you on the bridge immediately, please." Quistis's urgent tones over the intercom cut Alix's speech short.

Squall was already half-way out of the door. "I'll be right back."

Lianne jumped up and grabbed his arm before he could leave the door. "Wait! We're coming with you."

Squall was just about to argue with her, then he recalled the urgency of Quistis's voice. "Fine, just hurry up."

Lianne signalled for Alix and all three of them exited Squall's dormitory. A few minutes later, after a walk in silence, they all arrived at the bridge. During the ride in the lift, Alix found he could no longer look Lianne in the eye. Every couple of seconds she was turning her head to smile at him. And every time this happened Alix just looked away, feeling a little flushed. But at the bridge, everything else was forgotten as they stepped into a room full of serious and anxious faces.

Cid, the Garden's headmaster, began to speak as soon as Squall was present. He didn't seem to notice Lianne and Alix follow Squall in.

"Squall, we have an urgent distress signal from Esthar City. They're under attack from the Galbadian Army."

The reactions from Lianne and Alix were almost the same. The realisation hit them both at the same time, and their minds started racing, the shock visible on both of their faces.

Squall's reaction was less easy to see. As soon as Cid said these words a torrent of thoughts filled Squall's head, but he pushed them away immediately, in order to focus on the matter at hand in it's full clarity.

Cid continued. "They are requesting the help of SeeD. They're running into a lot of trouble."

"And lets face it, they've gotta be in some major trouble if they're requesting for outside help." Xu said. It was true, Esthar had always been such a secluded and independent city. For them to require help came as quite a shock..

"We received the distress signal about half an hour ago, from the mayor of the city." Cid explained.

Squall nodded. He knew the mayor of the city was no longer Laguna Loire, but was a young man by the name of Dylan.

So many questions were spinning in Lianne's mind, and she could hold them back no longer, even though she had promised herself to stay quiet during this briefing. "But don't Esthar have their own army they can fight back with?"

Squall shot her a dark look, and Lianne knew she had to stay quiet.

Cid, realising she was there, answered her question. "Well it seems even the Esthar forces haven't been enough to hold off the Galbadians."

"And SeeD can?" Squall raised his eyebrows.

"But of course! We're not called an _elite_ mercenary force for no reason." Cid smiled.

"Are you going to send out the whole unit?" Squall asked.

"This is where we leave it up to you, Squall." Cid said. "After all, you still are the leader of SeeD."

Lianne looked up and studied her father's face carefully. She could tell he wasn't enjoying this responsibility, but the look on his face told her he was already planning the battle strategy.

"Should we call up Zell, Irvine and Selphie?" Quistis asked Squall.

Squall folded his arms and nodded, deep in thought.

Quistis sent a message to her three friends over the intercom, and just a few minutes later they joined them on the bridge, wanting to know what was going on. After Cid had explained it to them, they all turned to Squall to hear the plan.

Squall looked around at them all with his ice-blue eyes, and then slowly, carefully, he began to speak. "We will dispatch the entire SeeD unit to Esthar, but for a small number who will stay here and protect Garden from a possible attack from Galbadia.

"You think they'd attack Garden?!" Zell exclaimed

"It's always a possibility." Squall said, still calm. "When they see its SeeD who's attacking their forces, they might retaliate. But I can't see an attack on Balamb being very big- they'll probably leave all their main troops in Esthar, as that seems to be their goal. So we'll only need a small unit of our own to combat them. The rest will to go Esthar."

Cid nodded in approval. "Very well. How will you infiltrate Esthar?"

Squall opened his mouth to explain the next phase of his plan but before he had chance to say anything, Alix began to speak. "Squall? Could I just... erm, speak to you for a couple of minutes?"

Squall looked frustrated, but nevertheless, took Alix aside and they spoke together in hushed tones. Lianne watched them carefully, trying to figure out from their body language what they were talking about. But it was impossible to tell. She gritted her teeth in annoyance as the both came back over.

"Gather the unit we will be deploying to Esthar in the briefing room." Squall said. "Alix has a plan."


	13. The Plan

"Dad?"

"What?"

"Is Alix going with you to Esthar?"

"Yes."

"Can I come?"

Squall stopped his brisk walk down the corridor and turned to his daughter, who had been trailing after him, whining, for the past five minutes.

"Lianne, there is no chance I am taking you to a battlefield at your age. You're only fourteen."

Lianne narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, but so is Alix!"

Squall looked around shiftily for a couple of seconds, as if stalling for an answer. "Look, Lianne. You're not coming and that's final."

Squall continued down the corridor towards the briefing room, and Lianne followed, throwing dirty looks at her father's back as he walked. "Do you think this has something to do with Seifer and the Sorceress Memorial?"

Squall didn't turn around, and continued to walk. "It might do."

"Then I'm coming."

Squall stopped again, and this time turned around to look at his daughter in the face. "Lianne... you do know what you are, don't you?" he asked, in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I'm a very good arguer." Lianne said her usual determined look on her face.

Squall tried to ignore her crack at humour, as this was not the time. "You are a sorceress, Lianne. You know that."

Lianne felt anger boil up inside her. She never liked using that word. "And why would that make any difference?" she whispered harshly.

Squall turned away again. "It's not safe. We're going to the Sorceress Memorial. The experiment that Esthar is doing now... I jut don't think safe."

Lianne's brown eyes brimmed with tears and she clenched her fists. She wanted to argue, but she found she had to run out of points to argue with, which was unusual for her. She turned and marched off in the opposite way, leaving Squall feeling a little bewildered, and maybe even a little heart-broken, to have to be so blunt with his daughter.

He carried on towards the briefing room, and when he got there, he cast his eyes across the entire SeeD unit gathered there. He didn't _want _to be so harsh and strict with Lianne, but he knew she wasn't a SeeD yet. He didn't know if he'd let her go, even if she was a SeeD. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Lianne on the battlefield as he had lost Rinoa. So he sighed and carried on towards the front of the room, ready to deliver this briefing with Alix. Alix was already at the podium waiting.

Squall addressed the SeeD unit and explained the situation before passing over to Alix.

Alix gave a little cough before speaking. He didn't appear nervous, but more confident, and even somewhat like a leader "To get to Esthar, we will be transporting most of the unit via the airship, Ragnarok. We won't be able to take you all that way, so some of the unit will be travelling in cars."

Squall looked around the room at all the eager faces listening to Alix. So he might not have the best explaining techniques, but he wasn't doing that badly. As Squall scanned the back row of faces, he caught sight of Lianne lurking behind them. He scowled. He should have known she'd be here. He tried to ignore her – it didn't matter how much she heard, because she wasn't coming, no matter what she tried.

Lianne was trying to keep out of sight at the back of the room behind the last line of SeeDs eagerly awaiting their instructions. She thought she saw her father's eyes rest on her for a moment, and she froze still. But as he carried on looking Lianne realised she must have been mistaken. She stopped eventually, sitting in a corner the light didn't quite penetrate. She concentrated on Alix's instructions, trying to take them all in and remember them.

"There are two possible entrances to Esthar, so the team will be divided into two groups. Squad A will be entering from the west. It is one of the main entrances to the city, so we expect it to be heavily guarded. We will send a strong army through this entrance, and any weaponry will be taken through here. The other entrance is through the underground route. Galbadia have disabled all the lifts in the city, but this is what makes it a very advantageous entering point. They won't expect us to come up through this small shaft, so we will take this chance to surprise them. The team entering this way will be Squad B, and will only be a small group – no bigger than six people. The underground passageway can't accommodate many more people than this. They will infiltrate the city in secrecy, and take care of anything that needs to be done inside the city for the main team to enter safely. Their second duty is to ensure the citizens of Esthar are safe and have come to no harm. Squad A will be the main attack force; they will aim to push Galbadia back and out of the city, spreading diagonally from the west entrance to the east. Yow will be sent in wave by wave. Sheer force is your weapon. And that is our plan for giving Esthar back its independence." He finished speaking and stepped aside for Squall to take the podium. As he did, Squall gave him a small nod of approval.

It suddenly dawned on Lianne that it was Alix who had made the plan, not Squall. This puzzled her. She knew her father liked to be in control of situations, and she could never imagine him letting a fourteen-year old kid who had just appeared out of the blue take control of the entire SeeD force. There had to be something going on. Lianne sighed as her father started droning on about the weapons they were going to be taking to Esthar and other things that Lianne found incredibly boring. She rolled her eyes and slinked away, out of the door. She might as well. She needed time to prepare and she didn't really need to hear team assignments. She knew very well who would be on which squad and how they would be arriving there. There was only one person who knew how to fly the Ragnarok, and that was Selphie. As friends, Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Quistis would stick together. That meant they would be travelling on the Ragnarok. And the party of six entering Esthar from underground had to be: Squall, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis and Alix. Who knows why Alix was going with them, but he seemed to be playing a much bigger part in the whole thing than just little messenger-boy.

Lianne went straight to her dormitory, and took her gunblade from its case leaning against the wall. Its great thin blade caught the sunlight and shimmered. Lianne held it at arms length in front of her, gripping it tight in both hands. She skimmed her eyes across its sharp edge, almost in awe of the weapon that could bring so much destruction and death. Lianne didn't want to fight, but now she had no choice. She knew it was time to face her demons and go into battle. She needed to know what was going on, needed to find the truth about her mother's death, and, of all the things that intrigued her most, she needed to find out who this Alix really was.


	14. Into Battle

**Author's Note: **Sorry these chapters are coming along so slow... I've had so much to do recently! Anyways, I hope you enjoy! It might be a while until the next chapter too, but please bear with me!

* * *

Less than an hour later, the majority of the SeeD force was being deployed in cars from the Garden. Squall was in the hangar of the Ragnarok with his friends Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, and the newest addition to the team, Alix. The rest of the SeeD squad were on board with them, and Selphie was making her final preparations for take-off. 

As they finally lifted up into the air, Squall looked at Alix once more.

"This better work." Squall said, almost a threat in his voice.

Alix gave him a nervous look in return. "It will. Trust me."

Squall narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure trusting Alix was a good idea. Alix had told him his story earlier, while they were on the bridge of Balamb Garden. Squall wasn't quite sure whether or not to believe him, but the story did seem a little farfetched. How could a fourteen year old like him ever have a part in the Galbadian Army like he says he does? And even if he does; what's to say this isn't some kind of trap set up by the Galbadian Army themselves? Squall quickly pushed these thoughts away, as Rinoa had told him that he had to trust Alix. Squall wouldn't even think about doubting anything Rinoa said.

"So, how's it going, Squall?" Zell asked. Squall could see he was already getting restless, especially with the excitement of the coming battle.

"Fine, I hope." Squall answered.

"Umm... Squall?" Irvine called from the rear of the bridge. "We've got ourselves a little problem..."

Squall came over to where Irvine was standing, looking rather uncomfortable. Squall was about to ask what it was when a pair of familiar brown-eyes peeped around one of the seats in the rear.

"Lianne...?" Squall stared in disbelief as his daughter stepped out of her hiding place and into full view.

"Err... hi, dad." Lianne said, giving her father a nervous grin.

Squall couldn't believe his eyes as he saw her, particularly as he saw she was holding her gunblade in her hand. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"

Lianne set her jaw. "I'm coming to Esthar, dad. That's what. And I'm... I'm going to fight." She looked in Alix's direction and caught eye contact with him for a second. She had to make sure he was seeing her moment of defiance over her father.

"Lianne, I've told you over and over again... it's not safe for you to be here!" Squall said, in disbelief that his daughter had gone against his wishes. But then, the more he thought about it, the less of a surprise it seemed to be. With her mother's will, it shouldn't come as a shock.

"But, dad! I want to be here, and that's more important. What was the point in training me to fight if I'll never get to use my skills in a real battle?" Hot blood coursed through Lianne's veins as she spilled out her points for argument. In reality, she was absolutely petrified of battle, but the discovery of the control she had over her powers – and not to mention Alix's arrival – had given her a new feeling of courage.

Squall seemed speechless at his daughter's words. Alix watched with a hopeful kind of interest. He knew Lianne could be a great help to him.

"I want to fight... okay?! And even if I can't use my gunblade, I easily... have other ways to defend myself..." she said, dropping her voice, and lowering her eyes to the floor. She hadn't meant to tell her father or anyone else about her decision to use her powers; it must have just slipped out.

Squall looked confused, but after a moment, he understood. It was a shock to find her so willing to use her magic. Still, his tone of voice told everyone he disagreed with her coming along. "Lianne, I'm not going..."

"Squall?" Alix interrupted. He stepped forward, his gunblade in his hand. "I just wanted to say... if Lianne wants to battle, I'll... I'll protect her if you let me."

Squall threw a harsh glance at Alix, in complete disbelief that he would even propose such a thing.

Lianne gave Alix a grateful smile. She could see her father was weakening.

"I can do it, Squall. I can. If you let me. I'll guard her with my life. I promise I won't let any harm come to her." Alix said, his voice full of confidence.

Squall even looked like he was considering Alix's offer for a moment, and Alix's heart lightened.

"Will you let me? You can't just leave her on the Ragnarok. It might not be safe." Alix said.

"Squall, maybe it's for the best. Maybe Alix will be able to protect Lianne if he's had the training he says he had." Quistis said.

Lianne was about to pen her mouth to ask what training Quistis was talking about, but then Squall interrupted.

"Fine! But I swear, if any harm comes to my daughter, I'll hold you personally responsible." Squall said, his voice sounded dangerous.

Alix nodded. He knew Squall was being deadly serious, but also he knew he could protect Lianne.

"Yo... Squall, chill out a bit man!" Zell said. "You can watch Lianne too, right?"

"Yeah, we'll all look after her." Irvine said. "Then you won't have to worry."

"And this'll be a chance for me to test my training, right dad? I've gotta be a SeeD one day. It'll help if I've had experience in battle before my exam." Lianne pleaded for all she was worth.

"Whatever." said Squall, stalking off to a corner of the Ragnarok to be alone.

Lianne made as if to follow him, but Irvine put a hand gently on her arm to stop her. "Leave him for a while." He said.

Lianne sighed, then looked at Alix. "Thanks."

"That's okay." Alix smiled.

"Woo-hoo!" came an excited cry from Selphie at the controls of the airship. "Commencing landing sequence!"

"We're here..." Lianne said, almost to herself.

"Yeah. You ready?" Alix said, tightening the grip on his weapon.

"As ready as I'll ever be." she said, letting out a deep breath.


	15. Change for Life

**Author's Note: **After a while, the next chapter is finally up! Thanks to those of you who are still reading. This is one helluva chapter, so it could take you a while to read it! Heh... Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

As Squall, Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Alix and Lianne made their way down the dark narrow underpass, the air fell unnervingly quiet. The thought of battle was now impending on all of their minds, even though all of their thoughts toward it were varied greatly.

The passageway was dark, but after a short while, a small beam of light broke down through the shadows. When Squall saw this, he nodded to the group he was leading, and they all stopped. Lianne was particularly nervous. Since leaving the Ragnarok, she had become extremely jumpy, and her heart had been beating frantic rhythms against her ribs. She was shaking violently, and the flow of nerves pulsing through her body was already making her weak and tired, so she was glad of the chance to rest.

The sound of footsteps was now audible above them, and they knew they were already underneath the walkways of Esthar.

Squall was now ready to give the orders. "Okay, once we go up that shaft, we're in there. I don't know what the situation will be up there, but hopefully there'll be a chance for us to proceed unnoticed. We'll have to divide into teams. So, Selphie, Irvine… I want you two to make sure squad A gets through the main entrance safely. You'll need to give them the signal. Once they're in, continue on a search of the city, helping civilians and such like. Zell and Quistis – you two need to proceed to the Presidential Residence. You need to get in there by any means necessary, but try not to attract too much attention. Once you're inside, locate the mayor, make sure he's okay and receive any orders from him that he wants to give you. Carry them out to the letter. Lianne and Alix…" Squall gave them both a stern glance. "…you two are coming with me. We'll proceed to the Esthar lab and tell them what's going on. I don't think they realise the situation. We need to let them know, and instruct them to do anything they can to seal off the Sorceress Memorial and keep their research safe. And Lianne… you stay close to me, got it?"

Lianne didn't even put up an argument. She was too worn out with nerves. So she just nodded, feeling her stomach twist into a tight knot.

"Selphie and Irvine, you'll go out there first. You think you can handle that?" Squall asked.

They nodded, and made their way to the ladder leading up to the shaft. Selphie was first, and she quickly clambered up the metal ladder, her shinobou in her hand, then stopped at the top and peered through the gap in between the walkway and the shaft. She smiled briefly to Irvine, gave him a thumbs-up sign, then pushed the shaft aside and scrambled up. Irvine followed her, giving the rest of the squad a glance before disappearing above the surface. Everything fell dark as he slid the shaft back into place.

"Okay…" Quistis and Zell, you're up." Squall said.

Quistis calmly made her way towards the ladder, but Zell ran ahead, and climbed the ladder first. He peered around through the gap, and was barely there a second he pushed the shaft aside and dashed up. Quistis gave a nervous glance upwards, and followed. The shaft was closed once again, and the passageway was bathed in darkness.

Squall shot glances at Alix and Lianne. Alix seemed confident, almost eager to get out there, but Lianne was deathly pale, and her nerves were beginning to show.

Just a second later, gun shots were heard somewhere above them. "Hey, we've got an intruder! Send for back-up!" a voice came from the same place, and rapid footsteps were heard pounding on the walkway.

Squall's eyes flickered on panic. "Zell…" he cursed under his breath. He looked back at Lianne and Alix. "You two wait here. Do _not _move, I'm warning you."

Alix nodded, with every intention to follow Squall's orders.

Lianne didn't react, just watched with fearful eyes as her father disappeared up the shaft, his gunblade tight in his hands. _Come back safe, _she thought to herself. No matter if she wasn't on best of terms with her father, she'd hate to lose him the same way she'd lost her mother.

Once the shaft had been pushed back into place, Lianne put her foot on the first step of the ladder.

"Lianne! What are you doing?" Alix asked, watching her carefully.

"What do you mean? I'm going up there."

"But Lianne, your dad says…"

"Do I care? You don't need to stay with me. I'm a big girl now, I can protect myself!" Lianne said with sarcasm.

"You can't go out there; it's too dangerous!" Alix said with desperation. He would not break his oath to Squall to take care of Lianne.

"Yeah, Alix, that's the idea of a battle." Lianne raised her eyebrows.

Alix looked at her carefully, and could see her nerves were visible, but she was obviously just putting on a brave front. He kind of understood. "I told Squall I'd look after you, and that's what I'm going to do!"

Lianne looked puzzled. "What? That wasn't just a ploy to let him bring me?"

"Of course not."

Lianne felt rage boil up inside her. "No way! I am not gonna let someone else protect me… I can look after myself, you know! I'm not far off being a SeeD!"

Alix put a hand on Lianne's shoulder, to stop her from going any further up the ladder. "You're not going up there."

"And you think I'm gonna listen to you? You have no control over what I do." Lianne said, throwing Alix's hand off her shoulder and starting to climb hurriedly up the ladder

Alix didn't react, just watched her go with an impending sense of fear growing inside of him.

"And you think I'm gonna listen to you? You have no control over what I do." Lianne said, throwing Alix's hand off her shoulder and starting to climb hurriedly up the ladder

Alix didn't react, just watched her go with an impending sense of fear growing inside of him.

Lianne stopped at the top and peered through the gap. The sight that met her eyes was one of destruction. The Galbadians had spared nothing during their invasion of Esthar. The city was almost totally turned to rubble, and the air was filled with smoke, and terror was imminent in the atmosphere. There were quite a few Galbadian solders rustling toward a grand building that was looming above. Lianne recognised it as the Esthar Presidential Residence - it was famous all over the world. A little way in the distance, she could see her father locked in a ferocious battle with some Galbadian solders. His back was turned, so there was no chance he could see her, and the soldiers were too busy trying to keep Squall, Zell and Quistis out of the Presidential Residential. Lianne didn't hesitate to push the shaft aside and haul herself up.

Alix watched her with a fresh wave of panic as she disappeared above the surface, and after a second of thought, followed her.

Lianne ran across the ruined walkway, heart in her mouth, ducking as she ran behind rubble and remains of what the Galbadians had destroyed so she wasn't seen. She glanced back now and again to where her father was fighting, and was heartened a little to see that he was winning. Her heart was beating with every quick footstep she took, and cold blood ran through her veins.

Alix followed, casting nervous glances around him, hoping Squall hadn't seen Lianne. He too hid behind rubble and ruins as he ran, hoping he wouldn't be seen either. He wasn't nervous about battle – why should he be? He'd been fighting from an early age.

Lianne continued to run, not even sure where she was going. She stopped behind a half-crumbled building, wondering where to go, when she spotted a ladder nearby. The building didn't look to sturdy, but maybe, if she got up high enough, she could get a good view of the city and figure out where she should go…

Alix turned the corner he had seen Lianne go past a few seconds earlier. As soon as he saw Lianne, she pulled herself up the ladder that led to the top of the ruined building. "Whoa! Lianne, don't go up there!"

Lianne didn't stop, or even turn around. "And why not?"

"It's not safe!" When he saw that Lianne was not going to quit, he let out an impatient sigh and followed her. He knew that at the top of the building they lacked the necessary cover they needed to go unnoticed.

As Lianne climbed, she noticed the deteriorating condition of the building walls, but still she climbed. The ladder was slippy, and her shoes slipped on the rungs, and her heart skipped a beat each time she did. She could sense Alix's presence climbing up the ladder behind her. As much as she didn't want him to follow, the more she knew she needed his help, for whatever it was she was planning to do – these plans that were unclear to even herself. She reached the top and pulled herself up on to the top of the building. As she climbed to her feet, a few bricks and clouds of dust fell from the edge of the surface. She saw the distance to the ground and her head went light. If she fell…

Alix too climbed up on to the building, wondering what Lianne was planning up here. "Lianne… maybe we should climb down now…"

Lianne was about to protest, and then, her heart seemed to freeze in shock. In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a Galbadian soldier, heaving himself up the building on the other side.

"Alix…" Lianne started to back away slowly, her eyes flickering with panic. Her gunblade was slipping through her sweaty hands; she knew she couldn't fight. Not yet.

Alix followed Lianne's gaze and saw not one, but two Galbadian soldiers climbing up on to the crumbling surface. "Shit!" Alix raised his gunblade to defend himself as one of the soldiers ran for him, his weapon poised for attack. And just a second later, their weapons had clashed, and their battle had begun. Alix fought as he had always been taught – fast, non-stop attacks, graceful dodging of his opponents sword, and swift counter-strikes. Alix got carried away with the fight, and forgot everything else. He almost _enjoyed _the prospect of being in battle once again. Then he remembered something, and glanced for a second to his right. "Lianne!" he called out as he saw the scene folding out in front of him. Due to his own circumstances however, he was powerless to help.

Lianne was face to face with a Galbadian soldier, her gunblade in her hands. She was trying to lift it to defend herself from the soldier approaching, but the weapon proved too heavy. Her nerves made her even weaker than usual. Her feet were rooted to the ground; she couldn't even call out any sound whatsoever. The rapid beats of her heart were pulsing through her entire body and making her shake. She couldn't do anything. The Galbadian soldier heading towards her was coming quick and fast, his weapon raised, ready to strike. All she could do was stand and watch. And as the soldier's blade loomed above her, its sharp edge catching the deep red of the sunlight, she closed her eyes, more than expecting the blow…

But it never came.

A second later a yell came from the soldier and Lianne's eyes sprang open. And there she saw her mother's beautiful half German Shepard, half Border collie dog collide with the soldier's hard blue armour. It happened all in a split second – on the impact, the solider was caught unawares and thrown to the ground with a shout. As he fell to, his blade sliced the air towards the poor dog. With a yelp, Angelo fell to the ground too, her front right paw gushing with blood. She lay there, still.

Alix hadn't really understood what had happened, but at that moment in time he had managed to back the soldier that was attacking him off the edge of the building. Alix knew the soldier couldn't have survived that fall. Within an instant, Alix turned his attention to Lianne's problem, and saw the soldier lying on the floor, trying to scramble to his feet. Alix caught the moment's distraction and raised his gunblade, bringing it right into the soldier's back with a pleasing thud. The soldier collapsed on the floor and Alix smiled in triumph.

Then, coming back to reality, he looked at Lianne. She was on her knees next to the dog's still body. Lianne's breathing sounded forced and even full of rage. Alix took one look at the dog and knew it wasn't alive.

Lianne's eyes were fixed upon Angelo; her fists clenched in her lap, and through her veins ran an immense feeling of grief.

"Lianne…? Are you okay?" Alix sank to his knees beside her and said in a voice close to a whisper.

Lianne's eyes quivered with tears, though none fell from her eyes. "I… I don't know…"

"She was… your dog, wasn't she?" Alix asked, carefully.

Lianne shook her head slightly. "She was my mother's…" tears began to choke her words. "She must have followed me here… she used to protect my mother… dad told me all about it… she must have tried to protect me." Lianne bit her lip, trying to fore back the tears.

Alix watched her carefully, a feeling of sympathy growing inside of him. He felt awkward. He didn't know what he should do.

Lianne felt a large tear drip down her cheek, and before she knew it, she was crying. She put her face close to Angelo's brown fur, and stroked her head gently with her hand. "I'm sorry, Angelo… it was my fault… that you ended up like this…"

"Lianne… don't say that." Alix aid, his voice still almost a whisper.

"She was an old dog…" Lianne said, her face still close to Angelo. The soft fur tickled her face, and it had a sweet smell that reminded her of her mother. "She was the only memory I had of my mom…"

Alix watched as Lianne mourned the poor old dog. Before he knew what he was doing, he placed an arm across her back to try and comfort her.

As Lianne felt this gesture from Alix, she sat up sharply and threw her arms around him, crying hysterically.

Alix was more than shocked, but he smiled after a moment and put his arms around her. He couldn't believe this was the same strong-willed independent girl he had met earlier.

Lianne sank her face into Alix's shoulder, unable to control her tears. No thoughts seemed to pass through her mind. Everything just seemed blank. And then, she felt a soft touch upon her hair. A comforting hand was stroking it gently, calming and soothing her. It took her a moment to realise that this hand belonged to Alix. She lifted her head slightly, and caught a gaze of his caring blue eyes. Their gazes held for a few moments, and in that time they seemed to explore each other's soul, each other's beings, by looking into each other's eyes. Lianne could see the depths of Alix's soul – the secrets that surrounded him, and a painful past that haunted him. In Lianne's brown eyes, Alix could see a whole new world of discovery, and determination. Her eyes held admiration for her mother, father, and even… him.

And slowly, without their realising, their faces came closer, until the soft skin of their cheeks was touching. Then, it was as if it were a dream that they had no control over, and everything was happening by way of destiny. Alix moved his mouth so it was in lines with hers, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

At this touch, Lianne suddenly jerked her head backwards. "What are you doing?!" she yelled at him.

Alix looked flustered. "Sorry, I…I just thought… I, erm… I'm sorry!"

Lianne looked thoughtful for a moment, and then broke him a sweet smile. "Don't be sorry." She said, and moved her head back towards Alix's and placed her lips upon his.

And the rest of that moment was lost, left only within the reaches of Lianne and Alix's minds.


	16. Big Trouble

**Author's Note: **Sorry this chapter took so long to appear - I have a currently non-working computer. So, with the kind permission of Leanne, I'm using her compy instead. Yay! Anyway, hope you enjoy this one, it's pretty short!

* * *

Squall's eyes shimmered with victory as he struck down the last of the soldiers attacking him. He got through the battle pretty much unharmed, but for a few scratches. Zell and Quistis had broken through and managed to get inside the Presidential Residence, but now the city was on red alert. The surviving citizens of Esthar now had a reassurance that help was on its way – but it came at a price. The Galbadians now knew they were here. Squall could only hope that squad A had already got through the main entrance, as there was no hope of a surprise attack now.

For now though Squall knew what he had to do. He had to get back to Lianne and Alix who were waiting in the underpass, then they had to head to the lab, and warn the scientists there of what Galbadia wanted. That was – if it wasn't already too late.

Squall quickly made his way over to the shaft, and pulled it aside. He lowered himself into the hole and began to climb the ladder downwards. "Lianne! Alix!" he called out into the darkness as his feet touched the damp ground of the passage . "Come on! Get up here! There's no time to waste!"

Squall stared around at the tunnel to no avail when no reply came. "Lianne…?" Still no answer. Suddenly, Squall realised what was going on and began to shake with rage. "Alix!"


	17. Squall's Rage

Lianne and Alix were making their way back toward the underpass, hoping desperately that Squall hadn't returned yet.

As they ran, ducking and dodging as they had before, Lianne was still feeling an impending sort of grief for Angelo's death. She had found a few stray white feathers in the area around the crumbling building that had fallen from a bird that had probably been shot down during the fight. Lianne had settled this little collection of feathers near Angelo's lifeless form. A little memorial to both her mother and her dog – she said.

Soon, the shaft of the underground tunnel was in sight. They kept running, the terrible sounds of war still echoing around them, Lianne clutching Alix's wrist desperately from time to time, for fear of falling over. Since the attack of the Galbadian soldiers, she had found herself feeling disorientated and a little clumsy.

As they neared the shaft, Alix stopped sharply. Lianne, who had been running behind him, looking over her shoulder, bumped straight into him. She stepped back, rubbing her nose that she had bumped on Alix's shoulder. "What? Why did you stop?"

"I think we might be in a _little _bit of trouble…" Alix said, his eyes fixed on the figure of a person heaving themselves out of the shaft.

Lianne followed his eye line to see the figure, and her eyes widened in shock. "Uh-oh…"

Squall was heading towards them. Upon coming out of the shaft, he had seen them almost straight away.

"We might have some explaining to do." Alix whispered to Lianne.

As Squall came nearer, he grabbed them both and pulled them behind a ruined wall, out of sight. "Okay, I want explanations, now! Why were you out of the tunnel when I specifically _told you not to move, _and why were you standing like half-wits in the middle of a battlefield!"

Alix dropped his eyes to the floor. He hadn't realised that after the shock of seeing Squall, he and Lianne had just been standing in the centre of the fray. _It's a miracle we weren't both killed, _he thought to himself. "I'm sorry, Squall." Alix apologised.

"And you!" Squall yelled at Alix. "I gave you the responsibility of looking after my daughter, and what did you do?"

"Dad!" Lianne interrupted. "I'm fine, see! Alix _did_ look after me!"

"Lianne, don't think you're completely innocent either!" Squall said, looking harshly at Lianne.

"I never said I was!" Lianne said, standing her ground, as usual. "For you information, Dad, it was probably all my fault anyway! In fact, scrap that, it _was _all my fault! There happy now?" Now can we move on?"

Squall blinked at his daughter in confusion. _Lianne admitting she'd done something wrong?_

Before Squall got chance to comment on this matter, however, Alix spoke up. "Lianne's probably right, Squall. We should get moving. I understand you're mad, but I don't think this is the time or place."

Squall felt infuriated to have been told what to do yet again by a fourteen year old kid, but deep down, he knew Alix was right. "Fine… don't either of you think you're off the hook, though…"

Lianne felt a dip in her confidence. She understood she was going to get told off by her dad, but she was used to that. The thing she was really dreading was having to break the news to him about Angelo. It wouldn't be easy – she was her mother's dog, after all.

"Okay… we should head over to the Esthar Lab." Squall said. "We're behind schedule. Look over there." He pointed over to a place a long way away, almost on the horizon line, but thanks to the vast expanse of the city, it was within the Esthar walls.

Lianne and Alix followed Squall's directions and looked to the place he was pointing to in the distance. Just visible from their place so far away, was a mass of SeeD weaponry infiltrating the city. This was the first wave of attack.. They needed to get to the Lab quickly, to make sure the scientists had secured their research within the Memorial, so Galbadia didn't try anything rash when they realised SeeD were attacking.

"Come on." Squall beckoned, leading them from behind the ruined wall and back onto the battlefield. They took very little care of concealing themselves from the army this time. What was the point? The enemies knew that they were there anyway. Instead, all three took up their gunblades and cut down their foes – well, Lianne attempted but her gunblade was still proving hard to handle for her. Since the incident of Angelo's death though, she was finding more incentive to fight. She was going to fight for her mother, for Angelo's memory, for the pride of her father, for the honour of all her friends, and for Alix. And with each of these thoughts that passed through her mind, she found more strength, so by the time they had reached the Lab, she was carrying her gunblade like a true master. It was then that she realised – the gunblade had only seemed so awkward in her hands, and so hard to carry, because she was not just carrying the weapon; she was carrying her whole burden, her whole wish of not wanting to fight. But now, she was accepting that this was how it was supposed to be, and she was ready for anything. Her mother's memory was at risk here – the most precious thing to her father – and to defend it, she had to fight. She knew walking away from this situation was a much worse choice than spilling the blood of her enemies. But she wouldn't just kill at will – that made her no better then Seifer himself. She would only cut down those who stood in her way, or threatened to hurt all that she stood for.

"So this is the Esthar Lab?" Lianne asked, as the group stood in front of a squat white building that had once been the residence of the famed Dr. Odine. Nowadays, it was in the charge of Odine's nephew, Dr. Perkè.

"Yes." Squall answered, making his way over to the door. He tried to open it, but to no avail. It was locked. "Stand back, you two." Squall instructed Lianne and Alix. They looked at each other and stood back. Squall mustered up all his strength, and sharply kicked open the door. It fell off the hinges, through the door frame and onto the floor inside the building. "Come on." Squall instructed.

"Sheesh… ever heard of knocking?" Alix looked at Lianne, shrugging, as Squall disappeared inside.

Lianne let out a laugh at Alix's comment, and they followed Squall inside the building.

But when the got inside, the place was empty. Squall glanced around in dismay.

When Alix and Lianne stepped inside, they looked around too.

"D'you think it's too late?" Alix said.

"I hope not, but I can't see any other explanation." Squall said.

"What do we do now?" Lianne asked.

A shrug from Squall. "The only thing we can do – we're going to the Sorceress Memorial."


	18. The Final Battle

After forcing their way back out of the city through the main entrance they took one of the SeeD cars and drove straight towards the Sorceress Memorial.

The building itself from the outside was awe-inspiring. It was tall, blocking the dimming sun with its height. Thousands of steps led up to the main entrance, and the whole place was lit brightly, even though light had not yet completely faded. Outside, it was beautiful enough, but Lianne knew that the inside of those walls lay a treasure trove of secrets. The most precious treasure she could imagine. For this building was her mother's resting place.

When Lianne looked at her father, she could see the same thoughts were running through his mind. Alix however, was unfazed by the whole thing.

"What are we standing here gawping for?" Alix said, taking the first couple of steps up to the main doors.

Squall and Lianne followed silently, almost obediently. This was the last place they both wanted to be, but they knew they had no choice. This was the place they had been fighting to protect since Alix's arrival, and the final part of their mission was to ensure the Estharian's research on the sorceresses was safe.

But another thought ran through but Squall and Lianne's minds – maybe, just a little part of them, would _like _to see Rinoa again. It was a bizarre feeling for both of them.

When they reached the main door, they found no guards and no other type of security whatsoever. Squall sighed to himself. This couldn't be a good sign.

Alix looked at Lianne and Squall once again, and finally realised why they looked so reverent. "You ready to go inside?"

A silent nod from both father and daughter.

"Okay…" Alix said, pushing the button to his right that made the large glass doors in front of them slide open.

Through the doors, a small, almost lightless room was revealed. A thin mist crept across the floor room somewhere inside and drifted around their feet. The whole place had a quite sinister feel to it. Alix was about to take the first step inside, until Squall put out his arm to stop him. "Let me go first."

Alix nodded, twitching his weapon nervously.

Lianne followed as Squall and Alix stepped inside, silenced by nerves.

The room appeared empty to them as they peered through the darkness, until a harsh voice broke through to them. "Long time no see, Squall."

Squall span around, his weapon raised defensively. Alix did the same.

Lianne jumped with the shock of the new voice.

Turning their heads to their right, they caught sight of the figure, shadowed by the darkness, his cruel green eyes flecked out by what little light was flooding through the doors.

"Seifer…" Squall scowled.

"That's right. So? No hello?" he said, stepping out into the half-light.

"Don't play with me. What are you dong here?" Squall tensed at his weapon, feeling the same kind of fury at him as he had fourteen years ago.

"What am I dong here?" Seifer repeated, taking another step forward so that his own gunblade caught the light. "What do you mean? I'm just here to pay my respects to the great sorceress Rinoa, of course."

"Seifer! Don't you go anywhere near her!" Squall yelled. He was ready to die defending Rinoa's body.

Lianne knew immediately that she didn't like Seifer. She didn't like his sarcastic attitude. Especially not as he was disrespecting her mother.

Seifer smiled with satisfaction. He could see Squall was getting angry, and that's what he wanted. Seifer, for the first time, noticed the other two people that had come to the Sorceress Memorial with Squall. "Ah, Alix! Good to see you again. Are you returning to our side? I'm sure we can forgive you for betraying us."

"Never!" Alix yelled at Seifer, he too holding up his gunblade defensively. "I've come here stop you, not to help you!"

Lianne felt confused. What was Seifer talking about?

"And who might this be?"

Lianne shivered with anger as she felt his horrible green eyes rest upon her. "She bears a striking resemblance to Rinoa…" Seifer said, staying his same cocky self. "She wouldn't be… Rinoa's daughter by any chance?"

Lianne didn't like his tone of voice. "Yes, I'm Lianne Leonhart for your information!" She said, raising her gunblade slightly.

"Lianne!" Squall gave her a stern look. She should know this wasn't the time or the place.

"Hmm… the sorceress's daughter?" Seifer smirked. "You must have had it tough."

"Seifer! Don't push me!" Squall shouted.

Seifer completely ignored Squall's remark. "Having a child with a sorceress? I thought you'd have had more sense than to burden your daughter with that!" Seifer turned his harsh gaze upon Lianne. "So what do you do with your powers? Waste them like your mother did? She did lead a pointless life, you know. You should at least do one thing worthwhile in your life, I think. She wasted her whole life away."

"She did not!" Lianne cried, rushing towards Seifer, her gunblade poised to strike, her eyes closed tight. She didn't get very far before her blade clashed with that of her father's. She stumbled with the impact.

"Lianne! Don't listen to him, he's not worth it!" Squall glared at Seifer.

"Well, if I'm just going to be ignored… I might as well just carry on with what I was doing." Seifer said, turned around, and clicked the fingers on his right hand once. At this click, small lights began turning on all around the lab-like room. A middle aged man who was cowering in the corner of the room was revealed .He had a professional look about him, with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a long white lab coat looking a little worse for wear.

Alix looked at the man with concern. It was Dr. Perkè, head of the sorceress research.

"So Dr. Perkè. Are you ready to co-operate now?" Seifer said, slyly.

Perkè didn't answer. He sat still, completely frozen from terror of this ordeal.

"Seifer! What are you plotting?" Squall said, giving his rival a dark look.

"Take a look." Seifer snarled, gesturing to a window just to his right.

Squall, Alix and Lianne sharply turned their heads to see into the window that showed a view of the main part of the lab. Right in front of them, encased in a glass dome, was the body of Rinoa. A frost-like substance was covering the inside of the dome, and as lights flickered around her tomb, the light saw caught the frost, making the whole dome seem to shimmer. Squall, lost in the moment, let down his guard, lowering his gunblade, thought to himself how, even in that eternal sleep, she was so beautiful.

Lianne's mind flipped as she cast her eyes upon her mother's body. She knew now what everyone meant. She looked just like her.

Alix looked at Lianne and Squall in panic – they were losing their concentration, and this was not the time. "What are you planning to do with Rinoa?" Alix asked Seifer, a threat in his voice.

"Rinoa? I'm not planning anything to do with _her. _I want all this research for myself."

"For what!" Alix said.

"For what? You don't need to know. If you'd have stayed in the army, perhaps you could have found out." Seifer said, then turned around to face Dr. Perkè again. He pointed the tip of his gunblade against the scientist's head. "Now… open the room!" he commanded.

Perkè, without second thought, dashed over to a large machine quite near him. He input a code, and some large doors on the opposite side of the room slid open with a beep. This beep seemed to bring Lianne and Squall to their senses, and they turned their heads to see. Alix panicked, alarmed that Perkè had complied.

"Well, now I can continue." Seifer said, stalking towards the newly opened doors.

Squall, Lianne and Alix didn't even react. Still in shock, they simply watched Seifer make his way into the vast, technological room beyond those newly opened doors. When they came to their senses, they followed him.

The room was so bright with light, it was blinding. The thin mist still lingered on the ground, and crept along the light's path. Soon, some more tombs became apparent. One of which, held the body of the sorceress Edea. Seifer continued to walk at an even pace through the thin fog, his heavy footsteps echoing in the reserved silence of the room. He stopped, finally in front of Rinoa's glass dome.

"Seifer… what are you doing?" Squall said. He, Lianne and Alix all stopped near the entrance to the room. Dr. Perkè was still in the first room, peering with fear through the window at Seifer.

"If you want to stop me, I dare you to try, Squall." Seifer said, coldly, turning around and pointing his gunblade in Squall's direction. "I can assure you… I'm much better than before."

"You want to try saying that again? Because don't forget, you're outnumbered!" Alix said, almost accepting Seifer's challenge by raising his gunblade also.

"Alix is right." Squall said, the blade of his weapon slicing the air. " I swear, Seifer, I'll fight to protect Rinoa, no matter what it takes."

"Aww, how romantic…" Seifer said, sarcastically. "Then bring it! Take your best shot."

At this invitation, Squall and Alix headed straight for Seifer, gunblades poised to strike.

Lianne, though she had found the will to fight, found herself frozen at the sight of her mother's body. From where she was standing, paralyzed, she watched her father and Alix charge at Seifer. Their aims were dead centre; there was no way they could miss. And then, the next second, Seifer deflected both of their strikes with a single sweep of his weapon.

Squall and Alix stumbled, amazed by his defence. Alix tried to take another shot from underneath, and Seifer jumped back and deflected the hit once again. Squall swung his gunblade behind, and Seifer span around and blocked that too, with an almighty clash of blades.

"I told you, Squall. You're not going to beat me. "Seifer growled, his eyes burning with confidence.

"You want a bet?" Alix asked, taking another would-be fatal blow towards Seifer. Seifer, of course, was ready. He pushed his weight down upon his weapon, and his gunblade met with Alix's with such force that through Alix backwards, across the floor.

Lianne gasped as Alix hit the floor with a thud. Then the room seemed to fuzz and blur around her, and murmurs in the air seemed to speak to her.

_Lianne…_

Lianne fell to her knees, clutching her head. Her mind felt foggy and strange. That strange voice hurt her mind just to listen to. "M-Mom?"

Nobody had noticed Lianne's agony as the fight continued. Alix pulled himself up from the floor, and took another sweep at Seifer. Again, this failed, and the agitation Alix was feeling started to show. His attacks became hasty and clumsy. Squall was having trouble concentrating too. This was the last place he wanted to fight – in front of Rinoa's glass dome. Still, he fought at his best, determined to protect both Rinoa and his daughter. But it seemed his best was not good enough. Seifer continued to block and dodge their attacks, no matter how swift they were.

_Lianne… can you hear me…?_

"Yes, mom… I can hear you." Lianne said, the pain she was feeling inside her mind was starting to make tears spring up in her eyes. Or maybe hearing her mother's voice again was the cause of it.

_You've got to open your mind…help your father, and Alix too…_

"How can I help them?" Lianne sobbed, clutching her head still.

_Let the people here guide you… they are wise people. Ask them to lend you their powers._

"Ask them…?"

_Trust me, Lianne… you can do it…_

Her mother's voice began to fade away, and a feeling of solitude began to wash over Lianne. "Mom! Don't go!" Lianne cried out loud

Her scream alerted the attention of Squall, Alix and Seifer. They all turned their heads sharply to look at her, as a bright blue light began to surround her, engulfing the room with blinding blueness. The fog lingering around the floor gave the place an eerie feel.

"Lianne!" Squall called out, losing the ability to see his daughter.

Inside of Lianne, something strange was happening. The pain in her mind was spreading steadily and slowly throughout her body, reaching the tip of every finger, and coursing through her very soul. She screamed in agony as something tensed up, and began to build up inside her – like a volcano ready to erupt. And then, before she knew it, a sharp beam of light span around her, then shot straight towards Squall, Alix and Seifer with an almighty force.

Alix saw the blast heading towards them. "Squall, watch it!" he yelled, diving to his right.

Squall caught Alix's warning and he too dived out of the way as the blast of light spiralled straight towards Seifer at lightening speed. Seifer didn't have time to react as the surge of light hit him with a blur of colours. He was thrown backwards a few metres, landing on the floor, landing with a huge resounding crash.

Lianne dropped down to the floor, lying curled up, shaking violently, her body echoing with the reminiscence of pain.

"Lianne!" Alix called out to her, pulling himself up from the floor sharply and running towards her, almost stumbling over himself in his haste to get to her side. He sank to the floor beside her and gently pulled her up until she sat, leaning weakly against his shoulder, her brown eyes gleaming in agony.

As the light in the room began to dull, it became apparent that Seifer wouldn't be getting up to fight anytime soon.

Squall warily pulled himself to the floor and made his way over to where Seifer lay. He trod lightly and slowly – he had to be sure Seifer wasn't trying to fool him. Eventually, he reached him, and stood over him, staring down at his eternal rival. Seifer was weak, it was obvious to everyone. He opened his eyes with what looked like some effort, and caught contact with Squall's harsh, disgusted stare.

"Seifer… give it up. You're done here." Squall said simply.

"So… what now? Are you… just going to… finish me here?" Seifer said, his voice hardly a whisper. "In front of Rinoa… and your daughter?"

Squall narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare speak her name…" he knew Seifer was playing his last cards, trying as hard as he could to try and get to Squall, even though he was weak. "…I promised…I _swore_ to you, that if you ever came anywhere near me again…I'd kill you, Seifer. And that… that's what I'm going to do…" Squall raised his gunblade above Seifer. "For Lianne…" he gained more height. "… And for Rinoa too…" Squall's arms extended to full height. "… You'll never betray us again."

Seifer shut his eyes tight as Squall's blade came hurling down towards him.

And with a horrifying sound of metal through skin, the last moments of Seifer Almasy's life came to an end.


	19. Reunited

When they arrived back on the Ragnarok, Squall breathless and uneasy, and Lianne clinging onto Alix for all the strength she had, they were greeted by Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Quistis, all four happy and triumphant.

"We did it, Squall! We really did it!" Selphie said, bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, we totally kicked their butts out there!" Zell said, punching the air.

"That's right. The Galbadian Army withdrew not too long ago. My guess is they can't cope without their leader." Quistis smiled to Squall.

"Hey, are you three okay?" Irvine asked, looking at Squall, Alix and Lianne with concern.

Squall nodded. "Yeah…let's just go home."


	20. The Truth

It was only a couple of days since the SeeD force had arrived back at Garden, victorious. Everyone had spent the past hours resting and recovering from the excitement of the battle.

Lianne Leonhart was no different. And just as dawn broke on the second day of their return, sweet clarinet notes rang around the sun-bathed corridors. Again, it was Lianne's favourite piece. It made the waking SeeDs feel somewhat at home, hearing this familiar song as they rose that morning.

But Lianne's song did not last as long as everyone wished it could have. As the last notes faded from her instrument, she put her clarinet back inside its case, stood up from her chair in which she was sitting, wiped the tears staining her cheeks with the back of her hand, and flicked her long brown hair out of her face. She walked over to the table on the other side of her dorm, where a newly erected shrine to her mother now sat. On the silky white tablecloth, in the centre of the table stood her mother's photograph. In the picture she was smiling a radiant smile with her pink lips, and her brown eyes glowed with life, just as the sun did that morning. She was sitting on a bench in the Quad, Angelo near her feet, gazing up at her mistress lovingly. Either side of the photograph, Lianne had placed two small white candles. Lianne leaned over this shrine wand whispered gently to the photograph, "I'm going to see Dad now. There's things I need to tell him. Please help me with this, mom. This is going to be hard for me."

With that, Lianne slid out of her dormitory into the corridor. Quietly she crept up the hallway until she reached the door of her father's room. Softly, she knocked. She waited to hear her father's answering call of. "Come in." before opening the door slightly and slipping through the gap. She shut the door behind her. "Hi, Dad…"

"Good morning, Lianne. What do you want this early in the morning?"

Lianne took a seat on her father's bed as he watched her from where he was standing in the centre of the room, right in front of her. "Well, erm…Dad… I have some news for you. No, two pieces of news for you. I have good new and bad news…" She clenched her teeth, diverting her gaze completely. She couldn't believe she was going to tell him this, but he was going to find out eventually, so it was best to get it over and done with. "Which one do you want first?"

Squall folded his arms and looked at his daughter carefully with his blue eyes. "Let's hear the bad news."

"Angelo… Angelo died…" Lianne said, quietly, risking a look at her father to judge his reaction.

He was surprisingly calm. "How?"

During the battle. S-she died trying to protect me." Lianne bit her lip to force back tears. "Are you… mad at me?"

"No… of course not…" Squall said, sitting down heavily on the bed beside her. He sighed, and the look in his eyes told Lianne that he _was _mad… at least a little. She leaned over to him and put her head upon his shoulder. Squall wrapped his arms around his daughter, staring out of the dormitory window at the shimmering ocean. "She was an old dog anyway… we had to let her go eventually… at least she was able to protect you one last time before she went."

Lianne nodded, tears threatening her eyes yet again.

Squall himself felt quite upset about Angelo's death. He never thought he'd miss the old dog once she'd gone, but now he knew differently. Angelo was the only memory he had left of Rinoa.

Then, he realised – he didn't need a dog to remind him of her. He had Lianne, so like Rinoa in every way. And, if anything, this whole adventure had brought these traits of character out in Lianne more than ever. She was becoming stronger, just like Rinoa.

He held Lianne closer, then he smiled to himself. "Didn't you have some good news for me too?"

Lianne clenched her eyelids shut tight. She didn't know how her father was going to take this. "Yeah… Dad? Promise you won't get mad?"

"I though you said this was good news?"

"It is… for me at least, you see, Alix and I… we're… we're…" Lianne broke off, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

Squall released her quickly, and gave her a stern look. "You're what?"

"We're, um… how should I put it?... Together?" Lianne gave her father a nervous smile.

"What!" Squall yelled, jumping up off the bed and staring down at his daughter in fury.

"There's nothing wrong with that though… right? Surely you know how it feels to be… you know, in love with someone?"

"In _love _with him! I don't think so, Lianne! You're too young for all this!" Squall said with rage.

Lianne stood up in protest. "Excuse me! I'm fourteen years old, Dad! I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions in life! I thought you'd understand this anyway!"

"How do you expect me to understand the fact that you think you're in love with a person like _him_!"

"What do you mean, a person like _him!"_ Lianne yelled, a large tear dropping down her cheek.

Squall's mind was racing. This was impossible. How could she not know? "Don't you see, Lianne! His father… killed your mother!" Squall spat out these words as if he didn't want to say them.

"What… what do you mean?" Lianne stopped shouting, her mind filling with disbelief.

"Alix is… he's from the Galbadian Army. He was there when you're mother died… _his father killed her!"_

_Two figures on top of that building, the blood red sky cast behind them…_

Tears sprang at his eyes. He hadn't wanted her to find out, especially not like this, but he felt he had little choice but to tell her now.

"You… you're lying!" Lianne yelled, running for the door.

"Lianne!" Squall called after her. But he didn't give chase. She just needed a little time alone, that was all… He sank on to his bed and rested his head in his hands with a sigh. His head felt so messed around for yet another time in his life. Had he perhaps been too harsh?

Lianne kept running, speeding down corridor after corridor, bumping into endless people, but not even stopping to apologise. She didn't know where she was going, or why she was running, but she did – she ran fast, almost blind to her surroundings through her tears. Without even a thought, she ran straight into the Quad, right until the very edge, where she stopped and clutched the railing desperately. She held her head over very slightly, letting the calm sea breeze rush past her, and let her hair flow freely in the wind too. The tears that were now dripping from her eyes flew free in the wind too, dancing like speckles of stardust as they glistened in the blood-red sunrise light. She stood there, silent but for her tears for a few moments, before the sound of a voice behind her made her turn.

"Lianne?"

She saw Alix standing behind her in the deserted Quad, true-blue eyes glistening in the light. She ran straight to him, and he caught her in his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me!" Lianne sobbed.

"Oh… I guess you found out my secret, huh?" Alix said. As a matter of fact he was quite glad she had found finally discovered the truth. "I guess I owe you an explanation."

"Too damn right you do!" Lianne said, pulling herself sharply away from him.

"Okay, okay!" Alix said, keeping a firm grip on her shoulders. "Then you gotta stop yelling at me and listen, alright?"

"Fine!" Lianne let out another chocked sob and went back over to the railings, where she fixed her gaze back out at sea. "Go ahead. This better be good."

Alix smiled at her in attempt to keep up her usual cool nature. "Well… I guess you already know that I'm Galbadian. But I think its best if we start the story with my dad. His name was Xinn. When your dad and his friend were in Edea's orphanage together, my dad was there too. But after my dad was there for about three years, he was kidnapped by the Galbadian Army. Everyone started to forget him, thanks to the effects of junctioning GFs. But he met them again fourteen years ago, on a mission to protect Timber from Galbadia and Seifer. My dad was a spy sent from the Army, but in the end, he helped get rid of Seifer. Then he told Squall and everyone about how he was at the orphanage with them. After he'd done that, he didn't come back to Garden, he became a drifter and just travelled everywhere; 'broadening his horizons' he called it. But not long after, he ran onto some trouble. He always used to get into trouble, my dad. Well, he was forced to join the Galbadian Army again, for protection. Apparently, the people he got mixed with were not very nice at all. And while he was in the Army again, he met my mother. Which is how I came to be. You with me so far?"

Lianne nodded, captivated by his story already.

"Good, well, seven years later, as you know, Seifer and the Army tried to take control of Timber again."

"That was when my mother died." Lianne said, quietly.

"Yeah… well, this is what happened: Seifer must have had a real mood on him or something, because he ordered my dad to launch what I can only call: 'Mission: Upset Squall'. He ordered my dad to… 'get rid of' you and your mom."

"Why your dad?"

"I guess Seifer must have thought it would have hurt Squall to see someone he knew destroy his life. Well, my dad did the job, as you know. He had no choice. If there was any chance of me and him ever having a secure future, he needed to stay in the Army. If he didn't do the job, he was out."

"Hold on, you said that Seifer ordered both my mother _and _me to be killed. So… why am I still alive?" Lianne's head throbbed with confusion.

"My dad felt guilty about doing the job in the first place. He decided he was going to spare you… so as not to completely destroy Squall's life."

"I get it… he killed my mother so you and him could live safely?" Lianne wasn't quite sure if this sounded fair or not.

"Yeah… but that wasn't the case. On the way back from the mission, my dad was killed. I was with him at the time. It was horrible. I was there at his last moments… it was so hard to say goodbye."

Lianne nodded with understanding, sympathy in her voice as she said, "I was there, with my mom too. I know what that feels like. That moment was when I received her powers."

"My dad gave me a message, an apology to Squall. He told me if I ever was in trouble, I should seek out Squall and his friends at Balamb Garden. When my father eventually… went… I made my way back to HQ. Seifer was all for letting me go off on my own and getting killed out in battle or something. I was no use to him. But my mother was a high-ranking official in the Army, even if she did want nothing to do with me and my dad."

"Your mom… didn't want anything to do with you…?" Lianne found that hard to imagine. Her eyes filled with sympathy as she watched Alix staring out at sea as he told his story.

"No… she left us after I was born. But when I came back to HQ all alone, she didn't want anything to do with me still, but she put in a special request to Seifer that I might live and train with the Galbadian Army, in hopes of me being a solider someday. Well, as I trained I forgot more and more about my dad's message and all the things he had told me about Squall. Until one day, I overheard Seifer discussing plans of stealing the sorceress research from the Esthar Sorceress Memorial. Then it all came back to me. I remembered your mother, and everything my dad had told me. I decided it was time to run away from the Army and seek out Squall, to warn him about this plan, and to pass on my father's message like I had promised to do. And that's it… that's how I got here."

"And… your father's message… what was it again?"

"_Pas Ilmund tu Livondè."_

The words ran through Lianne's mind, and she could understand them perfectly, without having even to try. "I know… I know what that means."

"Well if you've got a clue, share it with me. I've been wondering about that for seven years!" Alix grinned.

"Pas Ilmund tu Livondè… You've a place in our hearts…" Lianne said in realisation.

"Kinda… soppy, don't you think?" Alix laughed.

Lianne smiled softly. "Its old sorceress language… after I started using my magic, new doors opened up in my mind… and I can understand that language too…" her hand clutched the railing tighter.

"Weird!" Alix said, placing his hand on top of hers. "So… do you forgive me now?"

"Of course I do… I don't understand why my dad blames you for what your dad did seven years ago, though."

"Me neither. But something tells me, no matter how many freaky languages you might speak, you'll never speak the same language as Squall. He has a language all of his own. He's one complex person!"

Lianne let out a gentle laugh. "You're probably right. But you know, the way my dad keeps blaming you for what your dad did, he kind of does the same thing with me. He seems to think that I'm my mom…"

"He's gotta find out one day that we're our own people. I'm not Xinn and you're not Rinoa." Alix said, touching her hair gently with his other hand.

"You're right." Lianne said, placing her arms around Alix.

Alix held her close. "Yeah. We're Lianne and Alix, and our adventures are gonna be just that – our own. No one else is going to tell us how to live."

"That's right. But whatever we do, we have to do it to honour Rinoa and Xinn… their lives were cut short after all. Let's live it for them."

"Okay." Alix smiled, still holding her close. "But something tells me all this crazy stuff won't just stop here."

"Of course not. If you're with Lianne Leonhart, things can never be normal!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **And that's it! That was the final chapter of this story. Thanks to everyone who has read through both 'Open Your Eyes' and this story - you must have a lot a patience! To everyone who has left reviews,your support is very much appreciated. And finally, to everyone who has enjoyed this so far, you'll be happy to know that there is much more to come! Be sure to check back on my bio page regularly for updates. Thanks again, and bye for now!


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